How Do I buy a House?

Step #1

Figure out the Money.

You will need to have a plan on how to afford the house before you begin looking for one. Here are the usual options:

1. FHA Loan-This is most popular for first time home buyers. It requires very little down, usually 3.5%, and sometimes, with Bond programs, no money down other than appraisal and earnest money ($1,000 to $1,500). The house has to meet certain standards in order to be able to use this type of funding. That means no "As Is" Sales. It also means you can not always use this type of funding on mobile homes or condominiums. This must be used on your primary residence. 
2. VA Loan-Must be VA eligible as determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs. There is a VA funding fee that usually is added to the amount of the loan. That fee is about 2.15%. This is a Zero Down loan. You still have the earnest money and appraisal. This must be used on your primary residence and the property has similar standards to the FHA loan. 
3. Conventional Loan-This can require anywhere from 5% to 20% down payment. These loans can be used on most houses. These are popular to use on "As Is' Properties as well as mobile homes and condos. Another popular use of this loan is for second homes. 
4. Bank Loans-If none of these work for you, talk to your bank and see what they can work out. Sometimes they can put a lien on your assets to pay for your investments. There are many varieties of funding that are open to banks. 
5. Cash-This is the easiest to use and can save about $5,000 on a $100,000 transaction plus all the interest that you will not have to pay in order to purchase it with cash. There are less closing costs and much less hassle in the closing. 

Keep in mind the 3 Things banks like to look for:

1. Credit Score 640 and above, some lenders can go as low as 580.
2. 2 years or more work history, schooling sometimes counts.
3. Debt to Income Ratio: Out of every ten dollars earned no more than $4.50 should be spent on items that you signed for, such as credit cars, rent, and student loans. 

When you have made these decisions and worked with your bank/lender to get the funding, they will provide a letter to bring to your agent.

Step #2

Look for What You Want

This is when you call in your Buyer's Agent and begin the search. Be specific 

• What is Your Budget?
• Who is living with you, and how many rooms and bathrooms will they need?
• How many cars?
• What area are you needing?
• Do you need room to entertain, and is entertaining inside or outside or a little of both?
• Who gets to make the major decisions?
• When do you need to be moved into the house, and do you have to break a lease for that to happen or sell a home?

You will work with your agent to scour the town for all the best houses and walk through the top six. Then you will find the very best of the six and make an offer. 

The Wright Team would love to be your agent. Just contact us with where you are in the process. We will be in touch soon.

dSo, you want to be a REALTOR? 

Probably you have a dream of being a celebrity agent who shows million dollar houses and gets paid the big bucks. 

Here are some interesting facts:

• Real Estate has an 87% attrition rate. That means 87% of REALTORs do not stay in business over five years. 
• REALTORS do not make 6% of every sale. Each agent usually makes less than 3%. That percentage is then cut down by the amount of split they have with their broker or Team Leader. 
• Agents on their own must invest in their business before they make a penny. That means for the first few months to years you are paying to work. 

Why do I sell Real Estate?

I was in jobs where I would never be paid what I gave into the company. There was always a cap to what I could earn but not a cap to what I could earn for the company. I was not able to take adequate time off to be with my family for important life events and was often working when I was sick. I thought it was worth the risk to get into real estate and invest in my business first in order to make a return and get back my autonomy. 

My first sale happened after four months of hard work and lots of money being put into it. My husband Randy was willing to take the risk with me in order to see if this was a viable idea. 

The only way to actually be successful in this business is to learn to listen to your clients and help them be successful in their ventures. It takes patience, listening skills, faith that things will work out, dedication, discipline, working on nights and weekends, and kindness. 

If you are interested in joining the Wright Team, knowing the risk, we would love to talk with you about where you can fit in our team. 

Introduction to the Wright Team

Randy Wright-Buyer's Agent, he has sold 78 houses and really is good at helping people through the stressful time of buying and getting to the exciting part of getting the keys to the best home for their family. He recognises the woman is usually the main decision maker and wants a safe place for the family. 

Don Stiefer-Our preferred lender, with many years of experience under his belt and a really analytical mind, Don is a blessing for our clients. He helps them find the right solution to their lending needs and is excellent at following up and communicating throughout the process. 

Melody Sanne-Our closing coordinator, Melody is fighting hard to make sure the contracts close, listing feedback is supplied to the sellers, the details are done. She is ready and willing to jump in her car and walk through a property to see repairs are done. 

Jessica Staton-Marketing, Jessica has an eye for beauty and creates artistic pieces to market our homes. 

Catherine Wright-Team Leader, I am really inspired by excellence. I set standards that are high and goals that are lofty and I find ways to reach them. I think outside the box and inside the box. Sometimes it means communicating in person or spending a bit more time on a project. Whatever it takes, I want us to be empowering our clients to have their dreams. 

Catherine and Randy Wright, a hardworking husband and wife team, pride themselves on being Fun, Excellent, and Welcoming. They commonly use the phrase, “put our family to work for yours.” The Wright Team has enjoyed assisting their clients throughout the Lawton/Fort Sill  community and surrounding areas with their real estate needs for the past nine years. From the fruition of this company they have been able to help hundreds of families buy or sell real estate. 

 Catherine, the Listing Agent and Team Leader, began her journey into real estate in 2007 as a homeowner. At the time she had to prepare for sale their family home in a very short timeframe as the market was plummeting in South Carolina and Randy was away at training with the US Army.  This quickly grew into a passion to help others do the same. She became licensed in 2010 and became an independent sales agent at RE/MAX Professionals, won Rookie of the Year for RE/MAX Oklahoma and continued to win awards and build her team in the following years.  

In 2015, after returning from Afghanistan, Randy joined the team where he is the Buyer’s Agent and Operations Manager.  Randy loves helping first time homebuyers and seasoned buyers alike. Our team believes that who you work with matters, and we’ve experienced the complexities that occur when buying or selling a home.  We also understand the difficulties placed on families during a PCS move and want to make your next PCS your best one.  

Our team places your family’s needs as our first priority and we focus on giving you an unmatched real estate experience.   Our team will always go the extra mile to be sure business is done the “Wright” way. Our commitment to customer satisfaction is clearly evident in all of our client reviews.  Our team has a stunning 100 percent satisfaction rate on Zillow.com.  

Catherine Wright has an Art Studio and Asian Studies degree from Furman University, and enjoys painting and singing in her spare time. Art and education are incredibly near to her heart, and as a former teacher she looks for ways to give back to families and schools. In the past she has donated flowers for a garden at Whittier Elementary School, held board positions in many community organizations, performed with the Lawton Community Theater, and is looking into further philanthropic endeavors to give back to the community.  

 Randy has a Business Administration Degree from North Greenville University. He has served in the USMC, US Army, and currently serves in the Oklahoma Army National Guard and oversees the Equal Opportunity program.  He has experience in Law Enforcement, Retail Sales Management, Insurance Sales, and Financial Consulting. When he’s not helping others find a home, he can be found strumming a few bars on his guitar, spending time with family, or trying to referee his English bulldogs, Louis and Coco.  

Catherine and Randy have two children, Tyson and Victoria Wright.  

I started this team as a single agent back in 2010. The market was horrible. Randy told me I had 4 months to make the business work or I would have to pull the plug. I began in May. I had to have a deal under contract by September. September rolls along. I still have nothing. I had shown tons of houses. I had listed houses. I had knocked on doors, sent notes to everyone I could think of, and nothing happened. 

One day at the very end of the time I was sitting at the front desk of RE/MAX trying to come to grip with the idea that I had actually failed and decided to just finish up the last 30 minutes and not give up. I thought even if I failed I would try until the last minute. In those thirty minutes 6 new clients came in the door. Suddenly I was not a failure. I set the appointments and worked for each one as if they were my last hope. 

I made Rookie of the Year that Year for RE/MAX Oklahoma. I sold those houses and even bought a house as well. It turned around. 

In the years that followed we have had a lot of ups and downs. We have won awards for sales, given to charities, studied under some of the top real estate minds, and become a husband/wife real estate team. 

Randy has brought some amazing additions to the team. We began coaching under the Tom Ferry organization when he joined me. He insisted we get to know our number, like how many houses have we sold, what are we spending, what is our return. 

I am very grateful for all the people who believed enough in our service to allow us to represent them in what is usually the most expensive purchase of a lifetime. We look forward to continuing to help many more clients as they buy and sell houses in the Lawton/Fort Sill area. 

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