• Home
  • Buying
    • The Process
    • Mortgages
    • Buyer Consult
    • Search
  • Selling
    • Selling with Laura
    • Marketing Plan
    • Staging and Photography
    • What’s Your Home Worth?
    • Sellers Consult
  • Meet Laura
  • Vendor Guide
  • Let’s Talk

Call 703.283.6120 to discuss your real estate needs

Laura@GuidingYourMove.com
Laura Schwartz, RealtorLaura Schwartz, Realtor
  • Home
  • Buying
    • The Process
    • Mortgages
    • Buyer Consult
    • Search
  • Selling
    • Selling with Laura
    • Marketing Plan
    • Staging and Photography
    • What’s Your Home Worth?
    • Sellers Consult
  • Meet Laura
  • Vendor Guide
  • Let’s Talk

The Process

Interview a Real Estate Agent to Hire

It’s best to schedule an appointment with a real estate agent before ever looking at a home and discussing personal information. That way you can first establish an agency relationship with that specific real estate agent. Also, you can discuss with your agent your goals for your purchase, your needs and desires, and help them find the home that you’re looking for.

Contact a Mortgage Lender for a Pre-Approval

In today’s market, you cannot submit an offer without either proof of funds for an all cash transaction, or a pre-approval letter from a mortgage lender. This is where a lender will provide you with various mortgage options. To assist in your mortgage pre-approval process, a lender will review your credit, ask for information related to your income and employment status.

Search for Homes

This is where the right agent comes in to help you identify options that match your list of needs. The list of available homes for sale is most current from our realtor database, named MRIS locally. Sites like, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com etc all pull from our database. It will have the most current information and should make your online search much easier. Showings can be arranged based on specific information for each property (for example – vacant homes can be shown anytime; occupied homes may have time restrictions). You are also free to visit any open house. You can see any home listed for sale by any company.

Submit and Negotiate an Offer

As part of our contract, there are several important details that are submitted in an offer. They include price, date of closing, deposit amount, specific timelines for inspections, appraisal, financing, what conveys with the property, and the settlement agent. Specific inspections, if apply, include but are not limited to: home inspection, radon, termite, well, water, septic, mold, pre-drywall, and lead based paint. I have resources and referrals for all of these inspections, but you are always free to choose your own provider.

Contract to Close

Once your contract has been accepted, your due diligence period begins. Assuming you’ve successfully navigated each contingency and your financing has been approved and loan issued, you’ll move on to closing. At closing, you’ll sign paperwork for your mortgage and ownership of the property. You’ll be given the keys, making you an official homeowner!

Reviews on Zillow
4020339
"While looking for a realtor to sell our house our number one requirement was trust. We had to have someone we trust since we would be moving out of ... more "
5.0/5.0
by Libby hoffmann
4017009
"Laura is definitely the agent you want! We had the pleasure of working with Laura to sell our condo and buy our first SFH. Although this was not my ... more "
5.0/5.0
by zuser20150107163310068
3909271
"Laura was absolutely wonderful to work with and we highly recommend her! We were first-time home buyers and relied heavily on her as a result. She ... more "
5.0/5.0
by megmcg 1
  • Laura Schwartz
  • McEnearney Associates
  • 374 E Maple Ave, Suite 202, Vienna, VA 22180
  • 703.283.6120
  • laura@guidingyourmove.com

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🎯Just Sold! 1968 Horse Shoe Drive, Vienna VA 22 🎯Just Sold! 1968 Horse Shoe Drive, Vienna VA 22182
🌪This one has a story behind it...don't they all you say? Not like this.⬇️

👂The sellers actually interviewed me to list this property and chose another agent. Bummer, except the agent was a good friend of mine. *I don't do dual agency. Ever* So if they had picked me, I wouldn't have been able to help my awesome clients buy this house, I would have had to entrust them to someone else. Instead, I got to help them beat 13 offers, and I know part of it was because the sellers had already met me and knew I'd get it done, partly because of my relationship with the listing agent who I've known for 14 years and mostly because I think this house was meant to be for my guys. 

🥰I don't often publicize losing, but this one I'll make an exception for! 
🍾Happy closing day M+G! 🥳
Today's @tysonsreporter post is on all the deals t Today's @tysonsreporter post is on all the deals to be head around town! Whether it's free baseball games, $1.50 movies, free outdoor movies, bowling, or reading programs, there's sure to be something for everyone! #viennava #neighborhoodexpert #thingstodo #freethingstodo
Award season continues. Honored to have made the @ Award season continues. Honored to have made the @washingtonianmag top agents list again this year! 8️⃣ years and counting! 🙏🏻🌟🏡 

#viennava #viennavarealtor #topagent #whoyouhirematters #realtomom
Although the market has shifted slightly and there Although the market has shifted slightly and there is more inventory, that doesn't mean the right inventory has come available! I have buyers still looking for specific homes. If you know of a neighbor or friend selling, please keep me in mind!
If you follow me on Instagram, you saw my story 2 If you follow me on Instagram, you saw my story 2 weeks ago where water was pouring out of the ceiling of my rental condo unit in Fairfax. Thankfully I have a great tenant who dealt with it immediately. I'll admit this is my first go round (and hopefully my last) with damage caused by a neighboring unit, so naturally I'm using this as a teaching moment on what to do if this happens to you. #1 thing I'll tell you is that you should deal with it immediately. Water can cause lots of damage if it's not dealt with immediately. #2 thing is to read your condo bylaws - the insurance companies ask for it first to help determine liability, even when it's obvious.
I had the honor of helping these guys buy this con I had the honor of helping these guys buy this condo in 2018 and am grateful they trusted me to sell it for them in 2022!
📍1045 N Utah St #2-106, Arlington, VA 22201
Just Sold!
🥳
Celebrating today with a shoutout for locally #bla Celebrating today with a shoutout for locally #blackowned businesses, but specifically FOOD because every holiday needs food. Some local places to support include:
PieGourmet 
@blacknerdcoffee 
Uncle Freds BBQ Smoke Shack 
@mcleanpizzaandsubs 
Makers Union - Pub For The People 
Link in bio under neighborhood expert!
Small business Friday! I got to visit Madeline Pro Small business Friday! I got to visit Madeline Proust last week for the first time. Yummy little shortbread cookies and my husband got a chocolate Madeline. Small but might shop in #viennava @viennavafoodies
The tale of 2 very different transactions... 📍 The tale of 2 very different transactions...

📍2882 Sutton Oaks, Lane, Vienna
My clients were looking in a very specific place for a specific layout. We did mailers. We hit the HOA. I networked with agents. I even asked my sons teacher who lived there (true story). Finally my good friend @katie.hunter.realtor called and said she had one coming. When things fall into place, amazing things happen. The bonus of getting to put my clients into exactly what they wanted was getting to work with the dream team: Katie, @ginamyersteam and @firstexceltitle 

📍20786 Silverthistle Ct, Ashburn
This one wasn't as smooth, mostly because we got it just as the market started to turn. Which meant angry sellers accepting an offer $30k under their original asking price, plus accepting an appraisal and inspection contingency, which cost them some money on top of that. That said, we got it done and now my repeat clients get to make new memories in a beautiful house. A big thanks to my other dream team @theokunmortgageteam and of course, @firstexceltitle!

Some transactions are easy and smooth, some are not. But we'll make it to the end one way or the other!

#hometownrealtor #makingdreamshappen #realestatemarket #viennava #realestateshift
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© 2022 • Laura Schwartz • McEnearney Associates iamge