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Your Path to Homeownership

Buyer's Guide

A step-by-step guide to buying a home in San Diego, from financing to closing the deal.

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: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a Real Estate Agent? Technically, yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, and this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Passion & Expertise

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. I am dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams. 

See Why My Clients Love Me

Testimonials

Read what my clients have to say about working with me.

"Scott will not disappoint! His contagious energy, attention to detail, follow-up skills, and depth of knowledge are just a few things that differentiate Scott from the rest! Scott puts forth the effort so I don’t have to! Knowing I’m in excellent hands of someone with integrity and the skill set to do their job well, lets me focus on other things in my life. Thank you, Scott!"
"Scott will not disappoint! His contagious energy, attention to detail, follow-up skills, and depth of knowledge are just a few things that differentiate Scott from the rest! Scott puts forth the effort so I don’t have to! Knowing I’m in excellent hands of someone with integrity and the skill set to do their job well, lets me focus on other things in my life. Thank you, Scott!"
Mike O.
"Scotty was such a pleasure to work with! We would highly recommend him. He is very knowledgeable about the entire San Diego area and beyond. He has so many connections in the area as well that made the home-buying process so seamless for us. He listened to all of the requirements we had for our future home and found many homes that fit the bill! We quickly found our forever home and could not be more grateful to Scotty for making it possible!"
"Scotty was such a pleasure to work with! We would highly recommend him. He is very knowledgeable about the entire San Diego area and beyond. He has so many connections in the area as well that made the home-buying process so seamless for us. He listened to all of the requirements we had for our future home and found many homes that fit the bill! We quickly found our forever home and could not be more grateful to Scotty for making it possible!"
T. Perry
"Thomas "Scott" Harden was instrumental in helping me find and purchase my new home. I was looking for a number of months and he was on top of new listings that fit my criteria and forwarded them to me on a timely basis so that I could review them. The paperwork, negotiation, and communication were spot on! While I hope that I am not in the market to purchase another home anytime soon, I would not hesitate to use Scott and would recommend his services to anyone looking for an agent."
"Thomas "Scott" Harden was instrumental in helping me find and purchase my new home. I was looking for a number of months and he was on top of new listings that fit my criteria and forwarded them to me on a timely basis so that I could review them. The paperwork, negotiation, and communication were spot on! While I hope that I am not in the market to purchase another home anytime soon, I would not hesitate to use Scott and would recommend his services to anyone looking for an agent."
James B.
"Scott knows La Jolla's ins and outs. He has helped us to find our dream home. Firs,t he spent an enormous time with us to understand what would be our dream home, and then he worked relentlessly to find the perfect home for our family. A true people person, always eager to help, he was always there for us who were not based in California. Our situation was very complex but he handled everything very well: paperwork, negotiation, communication with the sellers and seller's agent, all went very smoothly. I highly recommend Scott to anyone looking for an agent that will serve your interest"
"Scott knows La Jolla's ins and outs. He has helped us to find our dream home. Firs,t he spent an enormous time with us to understand what would be our dream home, and then he worked relentlessly to find the perfect home for our family. A true people person, always eager to help, he was always there for us who were not based in California. Our situation was very complex but he handled everything very well: paperwork, negotiation, communication with the sellers and seller's agent, all went very smoothly. I highly recommend Scott to anyone looking for an agent that will serve your interest"
Thierry T.
"Responsive, knowledgeable, and determined to execute the most beneficial scenario for his clients. I sold my Gaslamp condo in 2020 and I found the process to be without stress or nonsense. Well done Scott, highly recommended."
"Responsive, knowledgeable, and determined to execute the most beneficial scenario for his clients. I sold my Gaslamp condo in 2020 and I found the process to be without stress or nonsense. Well done Scott, highly recommended."
Seller
"Intelligent, excellent communication skills, very very helpful throughout the entire process. Becomes part of the family rather than just an agent. Even brooms up chia seeds off the pantry floor :) Other agents will lower the value of your home to make a quick sale. Not Scott! His valuations are dead on and much higher but also correct. He doesn't want to just make a quick sale but also get you the true value of your home worth. Ethical. He also was in construction before so when inspection comes up and things need fixing. He knows licensed contractors or handymen who get work done quickly. Literally the next day on a Sunday lol. Thank you to those folks as well. You sit back, they show up and Scott is there with them. On one job Scott was there for over 8 hours along with the contractor to help him go to the store to get paint, or assist him in other ways but also manage them to make sure work was done to perfection. Our entire family was surprisingly shocked. Need I say more? Yes! Did I mention he broke the record for our style of home 3201 sq ft in our entire community of 600 homes community for highest sold price? Yes, even with interest rates being at 7%. Yup, that's Scott Thomas Hardin @ Coldwell Banker in La Jolla. Our home in Greer Ranch, Murrieta was over 50 miles away from his office. Didn't matter! He is like the energizer battery. Open house -on offer.Says to me we need another open house next weekend to get a few more offers. I'm thinking what the heck Scott lol. I realized quickly that his personal goal is to bring 5 to 6 offers on the home. Not 1, not 2. The dude is an extreme go-getter. I had spoken to Scott and let him know that I either wanted the home sold or an offer in 10 days. Had a great offer in 10 days and would've been sold but we refused to move out in 15 days as we needed a minimum of 30 days. In 21 days home was in escrow. Yes, less than 30 days 3 weeks. Most people can't even figure out what car to buy in 3 weeks. His marketing skills sets him apart. He says, yes pays lol for excellent marketing - magazines, mailers, flyers, and more. The photo guy he uses does an excellent job drawing people to the open house and viewing appointments. Thanks to the photographer as well! Other agents list home and wait. Scott does a targeted approach, marketing, open houses, viewing appointments, and calls other agents but also has meetings with different real estate offices about the listing. Picks up your call or calls you back quickly. Your questions and concerns are answered quickly. His manager and coworkers at Coldwell La Jolla at Prospect and Girard are all most welcoming and helpful. Thank you all as well! I have never written a review this long nor do I leave reviews since we all do our work the way we are supposed to. But when your agent is there on the last day helping clean out the home for 6 plus hours along with maids is just bonkers. My fractured foot and other body parts were in so much pain so I helped as much as I could. But honestly,y Scott did a lot! He cleaned out the garage and broom and helped with the inside of the home by throwing things away, organizing things, and much more. I truly appreciate you Scott for being there for us! He even went to Spectrum to return our gadgets to us. Come on who provides this type of service to others these days? Only heard about this type of values back from people back in the 1950s and 60s. His work ethic/dedication towards your family and goal at hand is unmatched. I have high demands for sales folks due to my own experience. He has met and exceeded mine and I am tough to please when it comes to sales, numbers, and processes. My hats off to you Scott Hardin! This is not a paid advertising. Real folks that used his service. Sales is about service and he understands this to the tee. Please call my agent, my new friend for your next home sale or to buy or to just grab a coffee with him next time you are down in La Jolla. He is a fun guy to be around, so please do use him for your real estate transactions and call him at 858-610-5283. Thanks, Scott, Coldwell, and I can't forget West Coast escrow in Mission Valley San Diego. This is truly a dream team, Scott is like Magic Johnson and can play all positions on the field other NBA player has ever done. So when you call Scott you get not only his skill sets but also his dream team of players. Makes life a lot easier! Take care and thank you Scott with sincerity."
"Intelligent, excellent communication skills, very very helpful throughout the entire process. Becomes part of the family rather than just an agent. Even brooms up chia seeds off the pantry floor :) Other agents will lower the value of your home to make a quick sale. Not Scott! His valuations are dead on and much higher but also correct. He doesn't want to just make a quick sale but also get you the true value of your home worth. Ethical. He also was in construction before so when inspection comes up and things need fixing. He knows licensed contractors or handymen who get work done quickly. Literally the next day on a Sunday lol. Thank you to those folks as well. You sit back, they show up and Scott is there with them. On one job Scott was there for over 8 hours along with the contractor to help him go to the store to get paint, or assist him in other ways but also manage them to make sure work was done to perfection. Our entire family was surprisingly shocked. Need I say more? Yes! Did I mention he broke the record for our style of home 3201 sq ft in our entire community of 600 homes community for highest sold price? Yes, even with interest rates being at 7%. Yup, that's Scott Thomas Hardin @ Coldwell Banker in La Jolla. Our home in Greer Ranch, Murrieta was over 50 miles away from his office. Didn't matter! He is like the energizer battery. Open house -on offer.Says to me we need another open house next weekend to get a few more offers. I'm thinking what the heck Scott lol. I realized quickly that his personal goal is to bring 5 to 6 offers on the home. Not 1, not 2. The dude is an extreme go-getter. I had spoken to Scott and let him know that I either wanted the home sold or an offer in 10 days. Had a great offer in 10 days and would've been sold but we refused to move out in 15 days as we needed a minimum of 30 days. In 21 days home was in escrow. Yes, less than 30 days 3 weeks. Most people can't even figure out what car to buy in 3 weeks. His marketing skills sets him apart. He says, yes pays lol for excellent marketing - magazines, mailers, flyers, and more. The photo guy he uses does an excellent job drawing people to the open house and viewing appointments. Thanks to the photographer as well! Other agents list home and wait. Scott does a targeted approach, marketing, open houses, viewing appointments, and calls other agents but also has meetings with different real estate offices about the listing. Picks up your call or calls you back quickly. Your questions and concerns are answered quickly. His manager and coworkers at Coldwell La Jolla at Prospect and Girard are all most welcoming and helpful. Thank you all as well! I have never written a review this long nor do I leave reviews since we all do our work the way we are supposed to. But when your agent is there on the last day helping clean out the home for 6 plus hours along with maids is just bonkers. My fractured foot and other body parts were in so much pain so I helped as much as I could. But honestly,y Scott did a lot! He cleaned out the garage and broom and helped with the inside of the home by throwing things away, organizing things, and much more. I truly appreciate you Scott for being there for us! He even went to Spectrum to return our gadgets to us. Come on who provides this type of service to others these days? Only heard about this type of values back from people back in the 1950s and 60s. His work ethic/dedication towards your family and goal at hand is unmatched. I have high demands for sales folks due to my own experience. He has met and exceeded mine and I am tough to please when it comes to sales, numbers, and processes. My hats off to you Scott Hardin! This is not a paid advertising. Real folks that used his service. Sales is about service and he understands this to the tee. Please call my agent, my new friend for your next home sale or to buy or to just grab a coffee with him next time you are down in La Jolla. He is a fun guy to be around, so please do use him for your real estate transactions and call him at 858-610-5283. Thanks, Scott, Coldwell, and I can't forget West Coast escrow in Mission Valley San Diego. This is truly a dream team, Scott is like Magic Johnson and can play all positions on the field other NBA player has ever done. So when you call Scott you get not only his skill sets but also his dream team of players. Makes life a lot easier! Take care and thank you Scott with sincerity."
Seller
"Scott is honest, trustful, and truly goes above and beyond for his clients! The service he provides is unparalleled. Even realtors love working with him!"
"Scott is honest, trustful, and truly goes above and beyond for his clients! The service he provides is unparalleled. Even realtors love working with him!"
Veronica M.
"Outstanding agent! We recently had the pleasure of working with Scott as our buyer's agent for a nice property in La Jolla. We started working with him late in the game after working with another miserable agent. Scott really went the extra mile to help us close the deal. He did an amazing job getting inspections and repair quotes even during a super short inspection period. He spent many hours digging in to get everything done. Great communication via text and phone. We only wish that we found him sooner. Highly recommended for buying or selling!"
"Outstanding agent! We recently had the pleasure of working with Scott as our buyer's agent for a nice property in La Jolla. We started working with him late in the game after working with another miserable agent. Scott really went the extra mile to help us close the deal. He did an amazing job getting inspections and repair quotes even during a super short inspection period. He spent many hours digging in to get everything done. Great communication via text and phone. We only wish that we found him sooner. Highly recommended for buying or selling!"
Robert H.
"Realtor Scott Harden sold my family home in La Jolla. I can’t say enough about how he made this chore so easy for me. He went above and beyond his call to duty by literally helping me pack, toss, and give away. He was present at our garage sales. He was meticulous with the house and made it welcoming and easy for the buyers to move into. In a heartbeat, I would use Scott again for a real estate transaction. His sense of humor keeps things light when they need to be but his knowledge, skill, and plethora of connections get the job done well and right. He’s available, and accessible, picks up his phone, and returns texts promptly. I felt 100% in the best hands using Scott as my realtor and I more than highly recommend him."
"Realtor Scott Harden sold my family home in La Jolla. I can’t say enough about how he made this chore so easy for me. He went above and beyond his call to duty by literally helping me pack, toss, and give away. He was present at our garage sales. He was meticulous with the house and made it welcoming and easy for the buyers to move into. In a heartbeat, I would use Scott again for a real estate transaction. His sense of humor keeps things light when they need to be but his knowledge, skill, and plethora of connections get the job done well and right. He’s available, and accessible, picks up his phone, and returns texts promptly. I felt 100% in the best hands using Scott as my realtor and I more than highly recommend him."
Cathy M.
"I highly recommend Scott Harden! He exceeded all of our expectations while providing personal and professional service for the sale of my parent's home in La Jolla. With utmost integrity and knowledge, he was always very accessible, present, and responsive throughout the entire process. I have no doubt he will impress all his clients!"
"I highly recommend Scott Harden! He exceeded all of our expectations while providing personal and professional service for the sale of my parent's home in La Jolla. With utmost integrity and knowledge, he was always very accessible, present, and responsive throughout the entire process. I have no doubt he will impress all his clients!"
Mark B.

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