Resources
Fort Benning Check-in Procedures - Lending Links - 7 Steps to Buying - 7 Steps to Selling - Preferred Vendors
Military: All incoming personnel are required to sign-in at Installation Replacement, Building 2622, Soldiers' Plaza telephone 706-545-7510 or 706-405-9991, for in-processing. Operation hours are Mon-Fri, 0800-1700, closed on weekends, Federal and training holidays.
Civilian: Incoming Department of the Army Civilians should report to the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center located in Bldg. 6, Room 132, Meloy Dr at 8:30 a.m. on the first day of their employment at Fort Benning. Be sure to have your most recent SF50 and any other permanent personnel records when you report for in-processing.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS: Everyone assigned to Fort Benning should carry assignment orders, leave forms, military/DoD identification and receipts for PCS expenses.
HOUSING/LEASES: Georgia & Alabama leases have a military clause: If you receive PCS orders or TDY orders in excess of 90 days, you can break your lease with a copy of your PCS/TDY orders and a written 30- day notice. Being assigned government quarters does not allow you to break your lease.
Fort Benning Website
Fort Benning Schools Community Website
Fort Benning Quick Reference Telephone Guide at pages 60 & 61
Staff Directory Headquarters, U.S. Army Infantry Center & Fort Benning
Click photos below to view each Mortgage Professional's web site.
You'll feel more confident about your home buying journey when you understand what is required of you and every other person who is involved in the transaction. If hired as your Buyer's Agent, I will help guide you through these easy steps, and at your pace, one step at a time!
This is my sincere promise to you!
Michele
Step 1: Lender Pre-Approval
When you are ready to begin shopping for a home to buy, it is best to start by determining how much you can afford, so that you don't waste time with properties that are out of your price range. But how do you begin? I work with several lenders who can assist you in getting pre-approved for a loan so that you can comfortably begin looking at homes with the assurance that you can obtain the proper financing. Generally, my mortgage contacts can help you with a pre-approval by getting some basic information (address, social security numbers, etc.) over the phone or internet. You want to know how much you can realistically afford to buy, based on your financial history, before you formally apply for a home loan. This is a very important first step in the home buying process and we can help you get started!
Step 2: Finding Your Home - Determine Your Needs and Wants
When you have completed step one, I will help you select your home buying criteria by helping you get familiar with the local market and the area. This will include defining the neighborhoods and communities, area schools, re-salability, your commute time for work, and then other factors of a home that are important to you, such as floor plan, garages, location on a street, views, basement, landscaping and more.
Step 3: Searching for Your Next Home
Once I have defined your specific buying needs and narrowed the search, we will begin actually looking at homes. I will provide you with multiple listing sheets of available homes meeting your minimum needs and schedule private showings. You may also run across homes of interest that you find on the internet, local newspaper or magazine ads -- and I will research those to show you as well. In fact, you can begin searching online right now! I will visit local Builders and model homes, if new construction is of interest to you, to help you see if there is going to be a good fit for your next home. At this stage, remember, I will be representing you as your Buyer's Agent. This means that I will be working for you with your best interests in mind. You can expect loyalty and confidentiality from me with the purchase of your home. I will go over the Buyer's Agency Agreement in detail during our initial buyer consultation.
Step 4: You've Found Your Next Home -- It's Time to Make An Offer
We may have been looking for some time, and finally the home that has you doing cartwheels has come along or we got lucky and found a great match. Either way, I will be with you one step at a time, to help you make the decision and weigh the pros and cons of each house, until you are comfortable and ready to write up an offer to purchase. At this stage, I will do research on the home for sale, to include, but not limited to recent comparable sales in the neighborhood, history of the home and days on market, public records and building permits, the sellers property disclosures, inclusions and exclusions and even insurance claims against the home. After we gather this crucial information, it will be time to meet to structure an offer. We will use our Pre-Approval letter from step one -- to show the Sellers we are realistic buyers and qualified to purchase. We will go over a few scenarios of what may happen after the submission of the offer as well.
Step 5: Negotiation and Acceptance
We have formally submitted our offer to the Sellers and now three outcomes are possible:
- The Sellers accept the contract as written and we are Under Contract!
-
The Sellers counter our offer and we have time to review and either accept the counter, reject the counter, or counter the counter.
- The Sellers reject our offer as written.
Depending on the outcome, we will be moving back to Step 3 or forward to Step 6! And remember, I will be with you and available to advise and consult you on the negotiation. It is also likely that prior to the actual submission of the offer, that we have gone through the actual outcome already in a "what if" scenario.
Step 6: Home Inspections and Other Tests
A complete Home Inspection can be ordered for your new home once the offer is finalized and we are under contract. This inspection will provide you with a great deal of information about the home you will be purchasing. You will want to plan to be at the home with the licensed home inspector a good two hours. After the inspection, we will go over any items of concern, safety or otherwise, and discuss our options in detail. We may also advise other tests to be performed, if necessary, such as a mold test, radon test, termite test, a lawn or sprinkler inspection, a hot tub inspection, septic and other. Once we have successfully completed the inspection phase and all parties are still in agreement, a home appraisal will be ordered from your lender to officially appraise the value and to secure your loan.
Step 7: You're on the Way to Closing!
Throughout your real estate transaction and as your closing date nears, I will check its progress on a daily basis, because one of my jobs as your Buyer's Agent is to stay on top of things and to keep you informed. All our ducks are in a row and the day is here -- we are on our way to closing! The closing, also called settlement, is the event that transfers ownership of the property to you. You'll need your photo ID, a cashier's check (if applicable), a good pen for signing, and your S-M-I-L-E, too!
Congratulations! You are a new Homeowner!
Before you list your home, understand what's involved, from increasing resale value and setting the price, to the costs that might cut into your profit. If hired as your Listing Agent, I will help guide you through these easy steps, and at your pace, one step at a time!
This is my sincere promise to you!
Michele
Step 1: Learn the True Value of Your Home.
Pricing your home properly from the start makes all the difference. I will provide you with a professionally prepared comparative market analysis, along with a one-on-one consultation to go over in detail not only the market and comparable sales, but also what costs to expect with the sale of your home. I can also arrange to show you the current competition after I have had an opportunity to present the comparative market analysis and actually visit your home. I will utilize my market expertise to determine your home's value.
Step 2: Get Your Home Ready for the Competitive Market.
I can look at your home through a buyer's eyes. I will advise you as to any repairs or improvements that will help sell your home for the highest price in the shortest amount of time. I will also counsel you as to staging your home so that your home shows the best. This may include pre-packing and de-cluttering. We want potential home buyers to feel comfortable in your home and vision their own belongings! This is not the time to show-off your furnishings!
Step 3: Price it Right.
Based on the current market value of your home in today's market, I will suggest a realistic pricing strategy based on your goals and objectives. It is not only important to price your home correctly, but to price it correctly in the beginning. We will go over this in more detail during our private consultation.
Step 4: Let US Market Your Home.
The key is to expose your home to as many potential qualified buyers as possible. This is where my specialty comes into place. You will focus on getting your home ready based on items we have identified, while I put my Marketing Plan into place. I know you will be busy with your everyday routine between work and family needs, plus preparing your home to sell and getting ready to move yourself, who has the time and money to spend on marketing? I do! So put ME to work for YOU -- with my expertise, you will not have to "wear as many hats!"
Step 5: Prepare for Showings. First Impressions Do Really Count!
Homes tend to sell more quickly and for higher prices when they show their BEST! It is very important that your home shows well. Develop a routine that will allow you to pick up and be prepared to show in a reasonable period without duress ... a 45 minute countdown for example. This means that certain things must be done in advance -- beds made early in the morning, dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and laundry off the floor. I do not want you rushing around tending to these matters, but rather preparing for a showing in an organized, un-hassled routine. I will go over more specifics with what you need to do before each showing as we get your home ready to sell. We want to set the stage to make the best impression on each prospective buyer!
Step 6: Have the Professionals Handle the Details.
Selling your home today is complicated. I will represent your best interests throughout the transaction. If hired as your Listing Agent, I will help you with every detail from Seller's Disclosure requirements to taking care of title work and closing papers. To get started on selling your home,
contact Michele today to arrange for your own private consultation. You have done all that you can. Now, relax as I do my job. Soon, I will be calling you to say,
"Congratulations ... I have an offer to present to you!"
Step 7: Pack-Up and Get Ready to Move.
Throughout your real estate transaction and as your closing date nears, I will check its progress on a daily basis, because one of my jobs as your Listing Agent is to stay on top of things and to keep you informed. Don’t forget to notify your utility providers, telephone company, post office, newspapers and magazines, friends and family and change your mailing address. All our ducks are in a row and the day is here -- we are on our way to closing! The closing, also called settlement, is the event that transfers ownership of the property to the new buyer(s). You'll need your photo ID, a good pen for signing, and your S-M-I-L-E, too!
Congratulations! You Have Successfully Sold Your Home!
Home Inspectors
Dave Pate Home Inspections
(706) 321-0321
drpatehi@bellsouth.net
Lic. in GA and AL (Graduate of Nat. Home Insp. Exam) Housing Inspection Foundation and Nat. Asso. Home Inspectors.
30 years experience in home consturction and repairs -- Highly trained in the electrical, plumbing and heat & AC fields. Training is hands on experience.
"I inspect each home as if I was going to purchase it myself."
Stan Adkins Inspections
PO Box 7173 Columbus, GA 31908
(706) 575-2210
Attorneys
Edward Hudson Hudson Law Offices, LLC
1921 Whittlesey Road, Suite 110 Columbus, GA 31904
Phone: (706) 317-3440
Fax: (706) 317-3441
ehudson@hudsonlawoffices.com
