There are so many people and parties involved with purchasing a home. Normally, I do extensive research but my house purchase was somewhat rushed! Pretty much, I put an offer in, my offer was accepted almost immediately, and then I took possession shortly after. I only went house hunting for a little over a month. After seeing over 30 houses, I became a home owner.
Here’s a little list of the people and companies I used for my house purchase. I hope it helps you a bit!
As my real estate agent, I used Naima Cothran. I am most comfortable working with independent and successful women so Naima was a great fit. She is knowledgeable and firm and after spending almost every day looking for houses, she knew my entire life story! She’s so easy to talk to, and I met her at a time in my life when I felt that everything was falling apart. She was super understanding, and made my first house purchase as easy as possible. After a number of recommendations, I chose Naima because she was recommended by a friend who knew what mindset I was in and what I was going through at the time.
As my lawyer, I used Joel Kerr. This man and his team are miracle workers. Naima, my credit union, and a friend recommended Mark Dudzic but he was busy on such short notice. As such, Mark’s office sent my paperwork to Joel, and I left everything in his hands. This part was a blur to me. I never really knew what has happening because it was happening so fast. Somehow, all my paperwork was in order, and about a week after my offer on the house was accepted, I picked up my new keys from Joel Kerr’s office and that was that.
As my mortgage lenders, I used Meridian . Essentially, they had the lowest rate at the time, and it continues to drop! At the time of writing this, their 5-year closed fixed rate is 2.44%. My rate a month ago was 2.49%. I also chose Meridian because the agent I worked with made me feel at ease. I spoke with TD, RBC and a mortgage broker and it just seemed overwhelming.
As my home insurance, I chose Square One Insurance. I looked around for quotes and responded to people who sent me the quickest emails. I had no time to waste and couldn’t wait around for responses. I did not want to deal with people who didn’t respond right away. Square One Insurance was great because I could do everything online. Their application even had photos to help homeowners fill out the application.
I hope this little list makes your life easier!