1. As you begin looking forAs you begin looking forAs
the home of your dreams
with Susan, there are a
few things you shouldfew things you should
do first. Advanced
preparation will help
make the home buying
process smoother and
more efficient.
Office: (573)876-2849 (573)447-2146
Fax: (573)447-0155 Hours: 8:30am - 6:00 pm
www.SusanHorak.com
A Home Buyer’s
Guide to the Home Buying Process

2. THE SUSAN HORAK GROUP RE/MAX BOONE REALT YTHE SUSAN HORAK GROUP RE/MAX BOONE REALT Y
YourFinances
OR G A N I Z I N G
ourFinances With a Realtor
Benefits of Working with a Realtor
• They help you sort out your financial situation and offer
advice on what exactly you can afford.
• They use the Mls and numerous other sources to find
information on properties listed for sale that might suit your
needs.
• They organize appointments with home sellers.
• They are knowledgeable about the paperwork you will
need to fill out when making an offer.
• They will help in the arrangement of financing.
• They are skilled negotiator
BE N E F I T S O F WO R K I N G
YouHave
OP T I O N S WH E N CH O O S I N G A BA N K
With a Realtor
TH E HO M E BU Y I N G PR O C E S S C A N
B E EA SY A N D Enjoyable!
• Get a free credit report here: www.freecreditreport.com
• Make a household budget and figure out where money is
coming from and where it is going (income vs. bills/debt).
• begin to gather items such as:
i. last 3 years of income tax returns
ii. bank statements for the last 3 months
iii. current copies of pay stubs
iv. records of any past derogatory credit history
that has since been paid off
v. records of any supplemental income you may
have
vi. if you are self employed, you will need all
business records and income tax returns for the
last 3 years.
• If you have been divorced or filed for bankruptcy, make
copies of the settlements.
• Pay off minor debts if possible and do not incur new
debt.
B E AWA R E O F F I N A N C I A L P L A N S FO R C E R TA I N P R O F E S S I O N S
Many lenders offer special programs for specific service in-
dustries and professionals such as teachers, police, firemen,
doctors, etc. be sure to check and see if you qualify for this
type of loan during your pre-qualification process.
“If you haven’t started the process of choosing a
lender, while we are looking at homes, I will be
recommending a few lenders to you who are best
suited to handle the loan program that YOU need.
And then I will help you navigate through bank
fees and interest rates to determine witch loan is
right for you.” - Susan

3. All Graphics & Literature in this document are the exclusive rights of the Susan Horak Group-Re/Max Boone Realty, and may not be used, reproduced or altered in any way, even if property is not currently listed.
THE SUSAN HORAK GROUP RE/MAX BOONE REALT Y
• Peace of Mind: If you are pre-approved, that’s just one
less thing you have to worry about while you’re looking
for your new home.
• Save time: once you are pre-approved, you will know
what you can afford so you won’t waste any time looking
at homes that you aren’t qualified for.
• Negotiating Power: once you find the home you want
and make an offer, being pre-approved will make your
offer have more impact than others, and you will be more
likely to get the terms and price you desire.
• Advanced Problem Solving: often, buyers will need a
little work to get their loan approved. The best time to
get these problems taken care of is prior to making an
offer on a home.
BE N E F I T S O F PR E -Q U A L I F I C AT I O N
BU Y E R QU A L I F I C AT I O N WO R K S H E E T
FHA/CO N V E N T I O N A L MO R TG AG E A M O U N T
It is practical to go ahead and get
pre-qualified with your lender
before you actually start
looking. During the
pre-approval process
the lender will verify
credit worthiness
and determine the
price range of houses
you are qualified to
purchase.
LE N D E R PR E -Q U A L I F I C AT I O N
AVA I L A B L E FU N D S
Savings account $ _______________
Investments (stocks, bonds and mutual funds) $ _______________
Insurance (cash value) $ _______________
Gifts - Conventional Gifts - FHA (family member or blood relative) $ _______________
Other $ _______________
Monthly salary $ _______________
Gross Monthly Income $ ____________ (a)
MO R TG AG E PAY M E N T
Principal & Interest $ _______________
Taxes $ _______________
Hazard Insurance $ _______________
PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) $ _______________
Homeowner association Dues $ _______________
Total Mortgage Payment $ ____________ (b)
IN C O M E QU A L I F I C AT I O N
for FHA: Take 29% of line (a)
for Conventional: Take 33% of line (a)
(assuming at least 10% down payment)
Total Mortgage Payment (b) must not exceed line (C) $ _______________

4. All Graphics & Literature in this document are the exclusive rights of the Susan Horak Group-Re/Max Bo
THE SUSAN HORAK GROUP RE/MAX BOONE REALT Y
“ There is no real mystery in figuring out what the bank feels you can afford to
spend on a home. I will ask you a few questions, such as your income,
your debt load, your cash on hand, and about your credit worthiness.
And from that I will have everything that I need to help you pin point
the price range we should be looking in and will be able to calculate a
payment for you.
I will ask you to begin gathering the financial documents that
you’ll need when applying for a loan.
Keep your finances in order until you close on your new
home, make all your payments on time and don’t acquire
new debt, unless of course debt to income is not an
issue.”
W H AT CA N YO U A F FO R D ?
D E BT Q U A L I F I CAT I O N WO R K S H E E T
MO N T H LY O B L I G AT I O N S
Total Mortgage Payment $ _______________
Auto Payments* $ _______________
Monthly Charge Card Payments (minimum payments) $ _______________
Loans* $ _______________
Child support/alimony $ _______________
Child Care expenses (FHA only) $ _______________
Other Monthly Payments $ _______________
TOTA L MO N T H LY O B L I G AT I O N S $ _______________ (D)
A L LOWA B L E O B L I G AT I O N S
For FHA: Gross
Income (a) X 41% or
For Conventional:
Gross Income (a) X 38%
Total Monthly Obligations (d)
M U ST N OT E XC E E D L I N E ( E ) $ ____________ (E)
*You need only count debts that will extend beyond six months (FHA) or 10 months (CONV). However,
if an obligation is greater than $100 per month, it may count against the buyer even if it has less than
the allowed time.

5. oone Realty, and may not be used, reproduced or altered in any way, even if property is not currently listed.
Before W E G E T I N T H E C A R
“Before we get in the car, we need to get Prepared, Organized,
and Educated! Only then can we successfully navigate through
every step of this process.
First Step:
We need to educate each other so we know what to expect.
I would like to find out from you where you see yourself in five
years, I need to know your current financial situation as well as
your prospects, I would like to know what type of homes you
grew up in, I would like to go through a list with you of what
you think you need in a house, your must haves and your wish
list,
and then I’m going to explain to you why we are going to ignore
most of that list!
From our first meeting, then at every house we look at, to the
closing and beyond, I will be teaching you everything I know
as we go.
Let’s face it, it is not in my best interest to sell you a house that
I am not thrilled to get to sell for you when that time comes.
With over 25 years under my belt and a good 25 to go, I want
to make sure you were happy in the house I sold you, and that
it has excellent resale value. Why would I want to make my job
harder? For me, today’s sale to you is tomorrow’s great listing!
Get organized ahead of time. Keeping a notebook and calendar
dedicated to the home-buying process is a good idea.
You will be set up with a portal on the web where you can keep
track of your favorite listings, send me comments, and make
notes on homes you have seen and homes you would like to see.
You will be automatically emailed every time a home matching
your criteria is listed or whose prices has been reduced into your
range. You will also see when homes sell and this will help you
keep your finger on the pulse of the market.” - Susan

6. F I N D I N G T H E P E R F E CT H OM E
It is extremely beneficial for you to have an idea of what you want and what you need in a home before you start
looking. filling out this questionnaire will help you and your Realtor find the perfect home quickly.
T H E H OM E I A M LO O K I N G FO R :
. . . I S I N T H E P R I C E R A N G E O F _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ TO _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
. . . I S T H I S ST Y L E :
1 STO RY
2 STO RY
M U LT I - L E V E L
TOW N H OM E
C O N D OM I N I U M
. . . I S T H E FO L LOW I N G AG E :
N E W H OM E
1- 5 Y E A R S
6 - 15 Y E A R S
6 - 2 5 Y E A R S
2 6 + Y E A R S
A N Y AG E
. . . H A S F E AT U R E S I N E E D :
_ _ _ _ # B E D RO OMS
_ _ _ _ # BAT H S
G A R AG E
FA M I LY RO OM
D I N I N G RO OM
ST U DY / O F F I C E
L A N D S CA P E D
S Q U A R E F E E T _ _ _ _ _ _ _
OT H E R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
. . . H A S F E AT U R E S I WA N T :
F I R E P L AC E
P O O L
W E T BA R
H OT T U B
B R I C K E X T E R I O R
STO N E E X T E R I O R
WO O D E X T E R I O R
S K Y L I G H T
N I C E V I E W
. . . I S LO CAT E D I N T H I S A R E A :
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
. . . I S C LO S E TO :
S C H O O LS
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
S H O P P I N G
R E STA U R A N TS
H I G H WAY AC C E S S
E M P LOY E R
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
C H U RC H
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
SY N AG O G U E
PA R K
G O L F
L A K E
OT H E R
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

7. Finding a HomeFinding a Home
“Think from the end,” See yourself in your new home. How does it make
you feel? Does it fit your families needs for 3, 5, or 10 years?
Dreaming of your new home is an important first step, keeping your
expectations in check is equally important. Keep in mind that the criteria
of what you are looking for in a home will change along the way. No house
is perfect. Be willing to compromise on some of your requirements.
Remember that list? The reason Susan asks buyers to make it was that
it was a guide. The ability to compromise is critical. Our efforts will be
focused on getting you the home that comes closest to fulfilling the sprit
of that list.
When Susan shows you a house, take good notes. Susan will be giving
you an MLS print out with all the details of that home and the back of
that paper is blank, so it is a great space to jot down the positives and the
negatives. Truthfully the worst buyers that we have to work with are the
ones that fail to communicate what they DON’T like about homes. Be
frank about what you think. This will help Susan to better understand
you and what you are looking for. We need feed back.
Once you’ve narrowed it down, to a few homes, it is time to go back and
look at those homes side by side. You are going to find that you have
in a few short weeks or days become an expert on the housing market.
And now you will be looking at those homes through educated eyes. And
together you will be making an offer on the right home for you and we
will have a plan B.
MAKING OFFERS AND COUNTER OFFERS
Once you’ve made an offer on a new home, try to relax and engage in your
routine activities while you wait to hear whether the seller accepts your
offer. Susan is at her best durring a negotiation and will be working hard
for you and your interests. Offers occationally are rejected, or there might
be a problem that comes up in the inspection that you are not willing to
deal with so try to remain detached untill everything is finalized.
I N S P E C T I O N P E R I O D
Susan will help you hire experienced and certified inspectors to conduct
a thorough inspection of the property including possible insect damage
and radon testing. Be present during inspection, so you can ask Susan and
the inspectors questions regarding the home and become knowledgeable
about any issues that are discovered. If problems arrise Susan is happy to
assist you in finding qualified proffessionals to fix them.

8. All Graphics & Literature in this document are the exclusive rights of the Susan Horak Group-Re/Max Boone Realty, and may not be used, reproduced or altered in any way, even if property is not currently listed.
All Graphics & Literature in this document are the exclusive rights of
the Susan Horak Group-Re/Max Boone Realty, and may not be used,
reproduced or altered in any way, even if property is not currently listed.
(573)876-2849(573)876-2849
(573)447-2146(573)447-2146
(573) 864-0160(573) 864-0160
Fax: (573)447-0155Fax: (573)447-0155
Call Susan To
See a House
Buying a home can be one of the most
stressful experiences in life, BUT it doesn’t have
to be! It is often a long and sometimes intimidating
process, BUT it doesn’t have to be! The real estate market
is huge and changes often with swings up and down. It’s easy
to become overwhelmed by how much is ahead of you and how
little you “think” you know about the process. But with the right
attitude and the right agent, it can also be an enjoyable, even
exhilarating experience.
You actually know quite a bit more about what makes a home
right for you, and what will make the process work best for you,
than you may think you do. When it comes to you and or your
family’s needs, you are the experts.
Your job now is to find an agent who listens to you and
meshes your knowledge with their expertise.
I am Susan Horak, and I am an agent who
listens. Lets take a little trip together
through the home buying process.