Buying a Home | Our Services | Expertise| Corporate Relocation Services | Buying a Home | Selling a Home | Moving

Our experienced real estate professionals have an in-depth knowledge of Dallas, Fort Worth, Sherman, Denison and all surrounding North Texas communities to help you find your Dream Home and take advantage of the ideal buying conditions presented by today’s market. We ensure that you have the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to making your real estate investment.


-Virginia Cook, Realtors Home Buyer Seminars
-First-Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit
-Why Work with Virginia Cook, Realtors
-10 Steps of Buying a Home
- Referring You to Superior Real Estate Service Outside of the D/FW Area


First-Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit (back to top)
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 authorizes a tax credit of up to $8,000 for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing a principal residence on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 1, 2009.

• The law defines “first-time buyer” as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. For married taxpayers, the law tests the homeownership history of both the home buyer and his/her spouse.

• FHA-approved lenders have received the go-ahead from HUD to develop bridge-loan products that enable first-time buyers to use the federal tax credit upfront to help cover their closing costs, buy down their interest rate, or put down more than the minimum 3.5 percent. This is not yet available in Texas, but we anticipate that it soon will be.


Why Buyers Work with Virginia Cook, Realtors (back to top)
A real estate professional with Virginia Cook, Realtors will help you save time and money during your home search and purchase by:
1. Locating suitable properties that meet your criteria.
2. Previewing the properties.
3. Verifying the properties’ condition.
4. Suggesting necessary inspections by experts.
5. Helping you determine if you can afford the property.
6. Verifying property taxes and utilities.
7. Verifying the value of the property.
8. Structuring an offer.
9. Presenting the offer to the seller’s representative.
10. Negotiating favorable contract terms for you.
11. Explaining legal documents needed for closing and helping you secure them.
12. Assisting in you in securing financing.
13. Assisting you and your attorney in clarifying title, zoning, building codes, and access easements.
14. Referring you to qualified vendors for the moving process.
15. Analyzing the future salability of a property.


10 Steps of Buying a Home (back to top)

1. Conduct a preliminary search for homes at www.virginiacook.com.

2. Talk to a real estate professional with Virginia Cook, Realtors to get valuable home buying tips and information on the current housing market.

3. Determine how much home you can afford by talking with a Granite Mortgage consultant, who is available at each Virginia Cook, Realtors office.

4. Apply with Granite Mortgage for a free loan pre-approval so that you know exactly what you qualify for before you begin looking at homes.

5. Ask your real estate sales professional with Virginia Cook, Realtor to show you the houses that meet your needs and budget.

6. Once you find a home that you want to make an offer on, you'll sign a purchase agreement written by your real estate sales professional with Virginia Cook, Realtors. If your offer is accepted (sometimes with contingencies), your will give the seller earnest money and then determine a date for closing the transaction.

7. Your real estate sales professional with Virginia Cook, Realtors will assist you in scheduling a home inspection, negotiating repairs, and obtaining homeowner’s insurance.

8. Your real estate sales professional with Virginia Cook, Realtors will also notify your Granite Mortgage consultant that you've found a property so the appraisal and title process can be started. Your mortgage consultant will send you a new good faith estimate which shows your monthly mortgage payment as well as your estimated cash needed for closing.

9. The title company will notify you of the time and date you close on your home and the items you'll need to bring to closing.

10. Use the Virginia Cook, Realtors’ Moving Checklist and Planner to get ready for the big day!