Don't click that Zillow Link if you want to find a Realtor; where do I find a realtor? How to find a Realtor
Thinking of Buying Real Estate?
Helping Buyers make their real estate dreams a reality in Savannah, Georgia and the surrounding areas
I pride myself on giving first-class service during the home buying process, for all of my past, present, and future clients.
Call me to see what sets me apart from the rest.
Home Buying Process
Save for your Downpayment
Start by saving money for a down payment. Depending on your loan type and the price of your home, you could need $10,000 or more for your down payment. Step two might help you figure out how much you would need, but getting started is your FIRST STEP!
Know Your Credit Score
Apps like CREDIT KARMA are a good first step, because they show your “general” credit score and let you see where you can improve. Remember, they get paid if you use their “sponsors”, so try to stick to the informative part of the app.
You can get a free copy of your ACTUAL report at annualcreditreport.com. By the end of 2022, you can get free weekly reports through that site instead of the usual once a year.
Find A Trusted Realtor®
Find someone that knows the community and knows Real Estate. This is your biggest investment (in most cases) and you need someone to help you navigate this changing environment. Contracts can be very confusing at times, so find someone with the heart of a teacher. Find someone that you can talk to easily, because you’ll be seeing many, many homes together, and you want to make the most of your time. Find someone that has the TIME to serve you.
Call me first… I can help you in all of these ways!
Get Prequalified
Don’t let this scare you! A Realtor® can give you a list of trusted lenders that will help your offer stand out! Sometimes, using the BIG ONLINE banks will make your offer less attractive in multiple offer situations. Local lenders do a great job of communicating with you during all aspects of the buying process.
Need a list? I can help!
Find a Home
Now to the fun part! I can set up a home search that is based on your specific criteria. Additionally, I know of new homes that are not on the market yet, and you can get a JUMP on the competition by seeing these homes FIRST!
Make An Offer
I’ll walk you through the offer process and I’ll educate you on how to win the bid!
I’ll walk you through the process of Due Diligence, Home Inspections, Closing Costs, Earnest Money, and more!
Home Inspection
A home inspection is paid for by the buyer and is there to protect the buyer from hidden defects in the home. I have some great inspectors that will walk thru their process with you and explain the important items from the standard everyday items.
Appraisal & Financing
The bank/mortgage company wants to be sure that they are securing a loan for a property that is valued correctly. They typically order an appraisal that is done during the underwriting process. This part of the financing is where most problems are found. Your Realtor® can help you through this process.
Closing the Sale
Closing the sale is important…. but making sure you know how to get to the closing table is more important. Call me to find out how I can help you with this big purchase.
No Obligation
property Search
The steps above may be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! You can start here by letting me know what you are looking for, and I would be glad to start a home search for you.
No obligation,… just information
Learn More About Buying
Want to learn more about buying real estate in the Savannah? Check out these articles and videos.
Downsize your home and upcycle your old furniture
Here is a great tip for Mother's Day... and you don't need any cash! What else brightens up...
Have Questions About Buying?
Check out our FAQs for buying real estate in the Savannah area.
If you were selling your home, would you want people that were not qualified for that home to be walking around your home? Prequalification is the first step in the home buying process because it helps you set your limits and prepare you for the down payment you need. I have some great lenders that would be glad to get you started, and now, most everything can be done online!
Great question! Don’t get any new loans or buy any large purchases such as furniture. I went into a furniture store before I bought my house and the guy actually tried to tell me that HIS LOANS didn’t mess up my credit. NO NO NO! No new loans. No big purchases! Don’t change bank accounts or move money around either. Talk to your lender if you have ANY questions first!
As far as your job goes, don’t change your job or reduce your hours. Even getting sick and not getting paid could stop your loan from going through…. so do your best to keep your pay stable.
When you close on a home, a number of fees are required IN ADDITION to your down payment. These fees typically range from 2% to 5% of the total cost of the home and can include title insurance, underwriting fees, origination fees, document preparation fees, and more. The type of loan you get will determine the down payment. You’ll need to discuss those options with your lender.
In Georgia, the due diligence period is a period of time that is agreed to by both parties. This is typically 5-10 days when the buyer is allowed to perform detailed inspections of the property. During this time, the Buyer can ask for repairs, or a reduction in lieu of repairs, or drop out of the contract altogether. Typically the buyer is able to get a full refund of any earnest money of notice is given properly to the Seller.
Typically, this takes 20-30 days. Talk with your loan processor about the number of days that would be needed for your Financing Contingency, before you put in your offer.
In our area, (Typically) the fee for the Buyer’s Agent is paid by the Seller in the transaction. The Buyer doesn’t have to pay a fee to be represented in the transaction if the home is listed by another Realtor®.
This can change, depending on the home, so always look at the contract that you sign with the Buyer’s Agent.
- Find out if the Realtor® will be with you the entire time, or if they will hand you off to others, such as an admin. I work with you the entire time, from day one to closing (now, we all know I may need a vacation at some point!)
- Do they have the experience to be able to help you and answer questions. How long have they been in the business and how many homes have they purchased themselves?
- Do they know the local market?
- Do they have contacts for banking, home inspections, and repair services to help you along the process?
- If you are from out of town, how will they help you during this process?
- Do they respond to your emails/calls/texts?
Do they call you back?
How long does it take to make an appointment to see a home? - What’s the most important question? Do you get along well and have fun during the process? You may spend a significant number of hours with this person… so have fun!
What My Buyer Clients Have to Say
Scroll thru these recommendations to hear from my clients!
Highly recommend! Leslie has been the best realtor I've ever worked with. Never had to wait for a response to any of my questions, and she even was patient when I repeated the same questions over and over! Leslie removed the stress and made the process as easy as can be!
Tricia M
Buyer & Seller
Buyer & Seller
Leslie is awesome! What should have been easy turned very difficult due to the lender but Leslie was there every step of the way with us helping get things done. She made sure to communicate between buyers and sellers which helped smooth things out. She kept things real and did not sugarcoat things when issues arose and because of that it helped get things done. I would recommend her services to anyone looking to buy for the first time or if they're buying a second home.
Josh B.
Buyer
Buyer
Connie: The BEST realtor that I have ever worked with! Once she knew what we were looking for and knew that I ask “MANY” questions; Leslie was always 1 step ahead of me. She could get information about the properties easier than I. Her work ethics were impeccable. Her determination to get our inspections, due diligence, and issues finalized for the closing was amazing. Overall, I think we found Leslie Shinn to be honest, hardworking, very knowledgeable about her job and very determined to help us find the right home.
Aven: We loved how she was caring and patient with us ! We considered her family now thank you for all that you have done !
Connie & Aven
Buyers, Pic: Aven & Hinton
Buyers, Pic: Aven & Hinton
Best experience selling our home. It was placed on the market on July 8th and was sold by the evening of July 9th. Leslie walked us through everything and explained if we didn’t understand. From the inspection to closing she was there. If you need a realtor to go above and beyond she is definitely your best choice. Thank you for everything!!
Shelly C
Seller
Seller
Leslie helped my husband and myself purchase a home in Pooler while we were living in Arizona. She was always available to answer questions, and answered messages typically immediately, but always within an hour of me sending them. She advocated for us with the builder, and even did the pre-move-in walk-through with us on a video call. (And probably noticed things I may not have that needed to be brought to the builders’ attention.) She has always been ready to give me information regarding who to call, phone numbers I need, and any explanations I needed to understand the contract. It’s quite stressful purchasing a house from over 2,000 miles away, but working with Leslie has been easy and stress-free. She’s amazing and I’d definitely recommend her to anyone looking to purchase a home in the Pooler area.
Julia S
Out of State Buyer
Out of State Buyer
Leslie was FABULOUS to work with. She is very efficient and gets the job done. She made sure we had all our papers and the “to do” lists were completed in a timely manner in order to close on time. She responds rapidly and is very personable. We got a full-price offer the same day and closed on time. Thank you, Leslie, I will be using you again!
Katie E
Seller
Seller
"The level of personalized service from Leslie Shinn can only be at the FIRST CLASS level. She kept me informed about the sales status of my Chatham County house every step of the way and made it all so much easier. This was the first time I'd sold a home. I've moved out of the area, so alas, I won't be able to call on Leslie again - but I would if I could!”
Billy B
Out of town SELLER
Out of town SELLER
Leslie Shinn is an extraordinary realtor, excelling in the management of every step of the process. With her on-point advice and industry resources, she quickly took my starter home from slightly neglected to show ready. Since I was living out of town, she communicated with the contractors and inspected their work. She more than earned her commission during the preparatory phase of the sale.
Her techniques for positioning real estate to garner the best possible price and ability to nurture prospective buyers netted a final sales price almost 16% above the listed price. I trusted her enough to give her temporary power of attorney to attend the closing in my place.
I was blessed to have Leslie as my realtor.
Cindy B.
Out of Town SELLER, Pic: Cindy's Home
Out of Town SELLER, Pic: Cindy's Home
It was a pleasure working with Leslie. The property was sold and closed in less than 2 months. She was always quick to answer my questions and return my calls or text. I would highly recommend her services! Thanks Leslie!
Joy A.
Seller
Seller
I can't think you enough for anything you have done for us ❤
Buying and finding a house at the top of the market was not an easy task. Leslie was very professional as well as personal.... our stresses were high as all our criteria needed to be met. Leslie is not only a fantastic realtor, but she is also an excellent support system. ANYTIME there was a house we wanted to see Leslie moved fast as houses were flying off the market. She negotiated and helped us to obtain the house of our dreams, working hard to make sure things like repairs were done, etc. Leslie is amazing and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to purchase a home, you won't regret it!!
Tracie L
Buyer & Seller
Buyer & Seller
Leslie was a lifesaver for me! I happened to be buying when the market was hot. I lost out on several homes due to buyer competition. Leslie patiently stuck with me until I found my perfect forever home. She fought for my interests every step of the way from the contract to closing. I feel like I received the best advice and support that anyone could've asked for. I highly recommend her services.
Vickie E.
Buyer
Buyer
Leslie was awesome to work with. We started our house-buying process long distance but she stayed in regular communication until we moved to the area. Once we were available, we looked at so many houses at all times of the day, weekends, it didn’t matter where she was there. She is very knowledgeable of the Savannah area and gave us great advice. We really feel like we ended up with the perfect house thanks to her hard work!
Tammy & Barry
Out of Town Buyers, Pic: Tammy & Barry
Out of Town Buyers, Pic: Tammy & Barry