A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Secure your financing

Before purchasing, it’s essential to get pre-approved for a mortgage (unless you’re paying cash). A local lender will help you understand interest rates, loan options, closing costs, down payment needs, and monthly payments. I can connect you with trusted mortgage lenders to guide you through the process.

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Step 2: Let's chat

Before we look at homes, let’s schedule a meeting—in person or online—to discuss your preferences and answer any questions about the buying process. This will ensure we focus on the right properties. Afterward, I’ll curate a personalized home collection that fits your criteria.

 

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Step 3: Time to Find Your Dream Home!

This is the exciting part where you’ll discover exactly what your dream home looks and feels like. I’ll also guide you through each property, highlighting key details and helping you focus on what matters most in your search.

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Step 4: Crafting a winning offer

Once you've found “The One,” we’ll analyze comparable sales and market conditions to develop a well-informed offer that aligns with your financial limits. We’ll craft a strategic offer together, review the sales contract and terms, and submit it in writing to the listing agent, positioning you for a favorable negotiation.

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service that is designed to help you buy your dream home.

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Step 5: Securing the deal

I’ll use my expert negotiation skills to secure your best terms. Once we’ve agreed on the deal, we’ll move into the escrow phase, where I’ll ensure all the legal and financial details are carefully handled, so we can finalize everything smoothly.

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Step 6: Option period

You’ll have 5 to 7 business days after the offer is signed to complete an inspection. I can refer licensed inspectors if needed. If major issues arise, we can negotiate repairs or credits. If you prefer handling repairs yourself, I have reliable service providers. You’ll pay the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Step 7: Lender's Home Appraisal

As part of the lending process, your lender will hire an independent appraiser to evaluate the property’s value, which must meet the lender’s requirements to secure financing.

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Step 8: Securing your loan

If you’re financing, your lender will request financial documents like bank statements, tax records, and pay stubs. After receiving everything, they’ll send it to underwriting for review. Avoid opening new credit lines or making large purchases during this time. Once underwriting issues a Clear-to-Close, your loan is finalized.

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Step 9: Closing Day!

Once all conditions are met, we’ll do a final walkthrough to confirm everything is in order. Then, at closing, you’ll sign the documents, complete the payment, and get the keys to your new home!

Congratulations! You're a Homeowner!!!

Welcome to the family

When you work with me, you become part of my real estate family. Even after closing, I’m here to collaborate with you—whether it’s connecting you with trusted service providers or offering support to make life in your home easier. We’re in this together for the long haul.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn LeFebvre is the best in the business. Justyn mobilized a team that did painting, repairs, pictures, advertising, staging, and listing. His operation was so smooth, that by the time we listed, we had offers waiting. His pricing was perfect to create interest but also right in the sweet spot to bid up. Our home in Travis Heights was sold in less than a week and I still can't believe the final sales ...

— Don H. - Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn LeFebvre was my REALTOR and he went above and beyond in every way imaginable. He helped me sell my condo and buy another, evaluate offers for both sale and purchase, and helped us look and find just the right place. He really took the time to know what was important to us and find just the right place. I dreaded the entire thing because Austin real estate is just dumb right now, but Justyn made it...

— Christopher H. - Buyer/Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn is wonderful to work with! I began working with Justyn remotely before relocating to Austin, immediately he was able to work with my hectic schedule. After relocating to Austin from across the country, he was the first person to greet me upon my arrival. Justyn has an intimate knowledge of the city of Austin, as well as, the surrounding areas which make him an extremely valuable resource when find...

— Kevin B. - Buyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Working with Justyn has been an absolute pleasure, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the outstanding level of service he has provided us over the years. We have purchased not one, not two, but three properties with Justyn, and every time he has gone above and beyond to help us find the perfect home/property. He is truly an expert in his field and has made our transition from San Francisco, CA to Au...

— Kevin M. - Buyers/Sellers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn Lefebvre is amazing! We relocated to the Austin area from out of state and from the very beginning Justyn went over and above to make sure we found the perfect house for us. We would email him with lists of housing development areas and home plans we were interested in and he would go out and meet with the builders and walk through the models so that he could give us more details. Justyn helped us...

— Pete & Colleen - Buyers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn Lefebvre is a terrific REALTOR. I was a first-time homebuyer, new to everything, and Justyn was always there to guide me through everything. I had a lot of trouble deciding on which house to buy, and ended up visiting many, with Justyn–some we visited three or four times. Justyn was right there with me, genially indulging my lack of decisiveness. After many such visits, Justyn had a better sense o...

— Kevin H. - First-time Homebuyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Being a first-time home buyer, the Austin market was very intimidating for me. Working with another agent from another firm a couple of years back and after multiple bidding wars with no success, I took my frustrations and decided to take a break from house hunting. A couple of years pass and I decided to give it another go with a new agent. A couple of internet searches later I came across Strüb Residen...

— Ben S. - First-time Homebuyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

A first-time home buyer, new to the Austin area, and only in Austin part-time during my house hunt: I worked with Justyn and without him, who knows where I would be living right now? Alas, we closed on a perfect home in early March, making it through aggressive competition, and I could not be happier and more optimistic about my future in Austin. It is clear now, especially for a 1st-time buyer, that you...

— Kevin P. - First-time Homebuyer

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn’s professionalism and knowledge of Austin housing trends helped us renovate and sell our home in an extremely challenging market. His natural sociability and compassionate demeanor helped us broker a great deal with great people! We are not wealthy, and our house was nothing fancy, but Justyn went far above and beyond to help us navigate the process successfully. We recommend him without hesitatio...

— Bug D. - Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn has been an amazing realtor advisor throughout our process of buying a home in the Austin area. Being new to the state, he drove us around to visit different communities to get an understanding of what we liked. We wanted to build a home and he was there at every walkthrough appt with the home builders and at the home interior/ exterior finish selections at the design center. I was so comfortable ...

— Sandy B

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn is an exceptional agent. He is extremely knowledgable and detail oriented. Justyn first helped us map out and narrow down an area over the course of a day as we are not very familiar with Austin. He then ensured we were continually updated on new listings in that area, based on our criteria. Justyn visited each listing with us and his responsiveness, quick turnaround and great negotiation skills h...

— Sona V

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Finding an agent who not only understands the market but also genuinely cares about your journey is hard to come by! Justyn was our trusted buyers agent and now also our trusted sellers agent. Justyn isn't your average agent, he guides and supports his clients throughout every step of the process. His wealth of knowledge and experience ensured that our home was positioned optimally in the market, attract...

— Mike & Glenn

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn is a top-notch real estate agent, and we highly recommend him. Working with him was a fantastic experience, his knowledge of the market was impressive, and he was always able to provide valuable insights and advice. He paid close attention to every detail, ensuring that nothing was overlooked. What we appreciated most was his patience in dealing with all our questions and concerns. He took the tim...

— Gio & Werner - Buyers/Sellers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn is an outstanding, tactful, and skilled real estate agent who is more than capable of navigating a broad spectrum of real estate transactions. He demonstrated exceptional knowledge in social media marketing, print advertisement, and verbal/written communication - and when you combine them with his warm-demeanor, the journey becomes even more pleasant. He also lives up to his words by displaying ut...

— Sharon J - Buyer/Seller

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn has been our family's realtor for several real estate buy/sell/lease experiences. We like that he is tireless in getting the deal done on schedule, that he responds immediately to communications, and his knowledge/advice about the market. He does a lot of the legwork and has a good network of lenders, repair/service companies, staging, etc. We recommend him!

— Jacob & Natalie - Buyers/Sellers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn was introduced to me when my wife & I decided to move from LA to ATX! Justyn was an integral part of this very big journey, he listened to our wants & needs for our very first rental home & helped us find the most incredible space we have ever lived in‼️🥰 I highly recommend working with Justyn for any & all of your house-hunting dreams! We will 100% be working with Justyn in the future when we’re...

— Jade & Lex - Buyers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn is an exceptional agent. He is extremely knowledgable and detail oriented. Justyn first helped us map out and narrow down an area over the course of a day as we are not very familiar with Austin. He then ensured we were continually updated on new listings in that area, based on our criteria. Justyn visited each listing with us and his responsiveness, quick turnaround and great negotiation skills h...

— Karan & Sona - Buyers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Justyn was more professional and detailed than we could have imagined. He made this stressful and overwhelming process of buying a home both enjoyable and personal. Also a bonus he is an awesome guy!

— Jason & Vili - Buyers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

THIS GUY! This is the guy you want to help you find a new home. I'm a first-time home buyer. Justyn was massively helpful. Taught me all the things I should be looking out for when purchasing a home. Then, he guided my wife and I through the process. I won't use anyone else!

— Jeff & Rachel - First-time Homebuyers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

Working with Justyn was such a great experience. Justyn supported us seamlessly over the last year moving cross country. His team and himself had great communication, were very clear on action items and next steps. Justyn also adds a ton of value with his experience and customer care. He continues to support us by educating us the new area, providing helpful contacts, and ensuring we are following up on ...

— Cory & Sam - Buyers

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY

We had an exceptional experience working with Justyn to sell our home. From the outset, he provided clear communication and guided us through the entire selling process with patience and expertise, which was invaluable as first-time sellers. His extensive knowledge of the market and trends gave us confidence in our decisions. The creative team he employs for photos and videos of the house did an outstand...

— Sean & Megan