Get Home buying Guide
When moving to another home there are many considerations, including financial, emotional and lifestyle. There can be many reasons for this decision; you may be looking for a larger home for your growing family, or you may be at the other end, an empty nester who is looking to free up cash for travel or to fund a comfortable lifestyle in your retirement. A smaller home with less maintenance may suit you better. These are just a few of the reasons why you may have made the decision to buy a home.
There are many blogs on this site that cover topics about what to consider when buying and highlight the types of homes, neighbourhoods, cities, towns, and regions that could be the perfect destination for your new home.
As a full-service Realtor, we have a full team of professionals and all service providers needed to make a successful and stress-free purchase. These include lawyers, accountants, mortgage brokers, financial advisors, home inspectors… the list goes on. We help you make sense of it all and provide referrals and recommendations.
We explain the home buying process to you and guide you through each step along the way, so you are prepared to make an informed decision once you find the ‘right’ home. Below are some of the major highlights:
Buyer Representation Agreement:
We will explain the Buyer Representation Agreement and how it protects your interests, and the obligations of each of the parties.
Financial Pre-approval:
A pre-approval can give you comfort in knowing your budget to start your search as well as increasing your negotiating strength. It is also important to have a preliminary estimate of closing costs and anticipated down payment requirements. A reputable mortgage broker can arrange a pre-qualification or pre-approval appointment to identify your range of affordability and discuss what mortgage products are available to you.
Property Showing:
There is more to this than being a tour guide and just unlocking doors. We will show you properties that meet your specific search criteria (including with your permission some options you may not have considered) and offer an unbiased opinion of each property by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each home.
Making an Offer:
The offer process is both exciting and stressful. After discussion, a written offer on the chosen property is prepared including the terms and conditions to protect your interests. Your offer is presented to the listing agent, and we negotiate on your behalf for a successful purchase on the best possible terms.
Closing the Sale:
Your offer is accepted – what’s next? We monitor and inform you of the progress of the purchase agreement, including the satisfaction of all conditions during the entire transaction, as well as coordinating all Inspections and Buyer visits and ensure that all the paperwork is processed on a timely basis.
Other Considerations:
Frequent questions worthy of discussion will be explored. For example, if I already own a home, do I buy first or sell first? This is a quite common question, and the answer depends on several factors, including current market conditions and trends, as well as your tolerance and choice. The answers to these questions can help you make the best decision for you and your family.
Next Steps:
With the recent significant price increases in real estate, buying a home has become a lot more challenging. Our team has the experience and expertise to find your next home at the best price and terms for you.
For more valuable information, fill out the form for your complimentary Home Buying Guide.
Client testimonials:
We worked with Luci and Marc to buy our new condo sell our Toronto home. The kids had left and we had been retired for a couple of years. We knew we wanted to simplify and move into a space that would be maintenance free. We always loved the idea of moving into a condo and just spending some real quality time travelling and golfing. We ended up buying a condo in the east end of Toronto with amazing views of the Lake – it’s so amazing we can hardly wait to move in! We actually found Luci online, believe it or not. We called Luci and set an appointment for a consultation. Luci and Marc are a husband-and-wife team and were very professional. We had lots of questions they were able to answer all of them. It was a very good experience. We bought the condo first because we wanted to ensure we had a great place to move to. When it came time to sell the house, Luci brought in the service people we needed to get the house ready for sale. The home was staged, and professional photos were taken. We really liked Luci’s quick and thorough communication. She was always available to take our calls. That was really important to us. We sold in 6 days for top dollar and couldn’t be happier with the entire experience. We would not hesitate to refer Luci and Marc to anyone we know. Thank you Luci and Marc!
Steve and Marilyn C.
I used Luci Rizzo to sell my house in Toronto while I was in BC. Excellent service, she helped with every detail including hiring painters, cleaning services and electrical work. I would highly recommend her.
Olive Spence
In the current overheated real-estate market, Lucy is a trustworthy, transparent, honest and proactive partner of any buyer or seller. Thanks to her ongoing commitment and sound advice, I was able to make a great buy and investment. I recommended Lucy to numerous people and I will always do so because it is really hard to find such a great agent who works hard to help her clients succeed by being there for them during the whole process and beyond. I am really glad that our paths crossed because, in the end, her hard work and dedication had an amazing an positive impact on my quality of life.
Charles Jean Sucsan
I would highly recommend Luci Rizzo for any of your real estate requirements. Luci helped us sell our home and downsize to a condo, which we love! With years of experience in the real estate market Luci is trustworthy, personable, is client focused, she listened to what we wanted, and provided great suggestions and communication throughout the process. Always prepared, Luci offered honest feedback and up-to-date research which enabled us to make the right decisions along the way regarding both selling and buying . We couldn't be happier and would not hesitate to use Luci again when we go to sell our condo.
Lesa Warner
Great overall service and experience! As first-time home buyers in Toronto, my partner and I were very nervous and had innumerable questions. Luci guided us, with patience and expertise, every step of the way. I would definitely recommend Luci and her team to friends and family for any real estate needs!
Mauricio Morales
My husband and I worked with Luci Rizzo and Marc de Bellefeuille recently in looking for our new home. We found them to be consistently professional, helpful and very knowledgeable about both the real estate market in Toronto and also about house construction and design. We started house hunting with little understanding of prices and a stubborn and outdated mindset about real estate values. Luci and Marc took us to upwards of thirty properties and always gave us relevant and helpful information, helping us learn to analyze and understand pricing and home value. Looking back, it is clear that we needed to fundamentally change our understanding before we could make a decision that was right for us. Luci and Marc were never impatient with our naive assessments and when we found a house we loved, they gave us clear analyses to help us make the most rational decision we could. I am so impressed by their expert knowledge of both the Toronto Real Estate market and house values. We found a wonderful house and I am certain it is all down to the expertise of this great team, Luci Rizzo and Marc de Bellefeuille.
Katherine Beattie
Recently, I decided to sell and downsize my semi detached downtown Toronto home. Luci was there for me advising on the whole downsizing procedures and suggesting from her contacts various ways that could ease and expedite getting my home ready for the market. Once my home went on the market, Luci really shined as she dealt with numerous inquiries and requests for showings during a covid19 lockdown. She is a great communicator and we exchanged a number of emails and phone calls daily to keep me in the loop and to ensure every detail had been looked after. I found Luci to be dedicated to helping her clients receive the best possible outcome, detailed and an excellent negotiator.
Linda Sebastian
Luci and Marc made my experience as a first time home buyer as easy as I think it could have been. They were really flexible around my schedule and helped me find the perfect place fast. Any questions I had, they had the answer or knew where to find it. I am hoping not to move for a long time but if I did I would use Luci and Marc again in a heartbeat
Michael Legere
Luci was very patient when helping us purchase our current home. As soon as the purchase was confirmed, Luci came over prepared to discuss details of selling our townhouse. She gave us an estimate of market value of our home and went through her market strategy with us. Our property was listed on MLS the next day. And to our surprise, it was sold in a week at the price we wanted. We couldn’t be happier.
Alistair Chan
I’d recommend Luci for managing a Toronto real estate sale. She’s conscientious and careful. She knew the market and gave us good advice. She managed all the showings, and managed the selling process very well. We benefited from Luci’s professionalism and experience.