First-time Buyer
Taking you from overwhelmed to overjoyed
We’ve helped hundreds of first-time buyers like you purchase their first Seattle area home
Making the transition from renting to buying is a big step. You deserve to have an experienced real estate team supporting you every step of the way.
Compassion and Transparency
Feel confident while you make a big move
Putting you and your goals first
Informing and updating you at every step
Personalized guidance, market knowledge, and local expertise
Seattle area first-time buyer video
From overwhelmed to overjoyed
Purchasing your first Seattle area home doesn’t need to be stressful and overwhelming. Our compassionate, transparent, and thorough approach will guide you during your transition from renter to homeowner. The one-minute video above provides an overview of how we partner with first-time buyers like you to find and purchase your first home.
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Aaron made the entire experience enjoyable and made sure to keep us informed
Buying our first house seemed so overwhelming and scary; but Aaron made the entire experience enjoyable and made sure to keep us informed and feeling prepared. He was a resource for several years before we were ready to buy, and we can say confidently he will be our first choice with any home buying needs in the future. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a reliable, trustworthy, and fun realtor/friend!
What to expect
How it works: the first-time buyer process
Preparing to Purchase
You talk; we listen. We’ll begin the process by listening to what your biggest concerns about home buying are, and what your ultimate goals are for homeownership. Once you’re comfortable with the home buying process, then we’ll talk about what is possible for you, and we will craft a plan that will help you attain your goals.
Determining the Numbers
If you have not already done so, this is the time to talk with a mortgage professional about your financial situation and figure out what type and how much of a mortgage you’d like to have. We can refer you to one of our trusted lending partners.
Searching For Homes
We’ll set up a custom home search directly from our MLS, so you’ll get access to the most accurate data. This will ping you with new listings that hit the market which may be of interest. Then, whether we’re going out on a private tour of homes, or you’re walking through open houses on your own, we’ll start to narrow down what type of home, and what neighborhoods are really going to work for you.
Due Diligence
Once you’ve found “The One”, our team will help you gather data about the home, so that you can make a sound decision. If you decide you’d like to go for it, then we’ll help you craft a strong offer. Once that offer is negotiated and we have a fully signed around contract, we’ll help move you through the next stage, escrow.
Escrow
Escrow is the stage at which we work through all the contingencies of the contract. This is where we get the home inspected, we apply for the financing, we review documents and information about the home. We’ll be by your side throughout this process, making sure you are comfortable and informed along the way.
Closing
The end of the process is sometimes the most stressful. Whether last minute questions for the lender, or we’re waiting for the seller to finish working on an inspection item, or one of a hundred other possibilities, just know that we are there, at your side, to advocate for you. We’ll get there. Once you sign the papers, it’s almost a done deal.
Keys
Congratulations! You’re officially homeowners. On the day of closing (when the money is transferred and the deed is recorded), we will meet and I will hand you a set of keys. Then, we toast to your new beginning!
OUR TRACK RECORD
20+
Years of Experience
150+
5-Star Reviews
500+
Homes Sold
Where Do We Help First-Time Buyers Purchase Real Estate?
Seattle and King County
Our team has worked with first-time buyers of homes, townhomes, and condos in the following areas: Bothell, Covington, Auburn, Everett, Issaquah, Kirkland, Bellevue, Kent, Lake Stevens, Duvall, Lynnwood, Maple Valley, Sammamish, Edmonds, North Bend, Shoreline, Renton, Federal Way, Burien, Snohomish, Lake Forest Park, SeaTac, Newcastle, Seattle, Des Moines, Snoqualmie, Normandy Park, Sultan, Tacoma, and Tukwila.
MEET THE JANUSGROUP
Expertise and heart: the JanusGroup way since 2005
Our real estate team provides a transparent, compassionate, and dare we say fun experience for buyers, sellers, and investors of residential real estate across the Seattle area.
Aaron gave us straightforward recommendations and the freedom to choose our own path
We absolutely loved working with Aaron to find our first home! As first time home buyers we were like lost puppies in this space and he made us feel empowered in our decisions. With his wealth of knowledge of the Seattle area, he was able to provide us with real options within our budget and neighborhoods where we could envision the future with our growing family. During our search, Aaron gave us straightforward recommendations and the freedom to choose our own path all while providing expert feedback. He never hesitated to answer our calls, emails or texts even when it was past his bedtime. Even with setbacks and stressful situations, he was a calm voice and presence through it all! We would highly encourage anyone looking for a new home to work with Aaron and his team!
Start your first-time buyer journey today
Get in touch with us
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A first-time buyer success story
From renters to homeowners
The Clients
Jason and Audrey. Tech-savvy early 30-somethings. He works for a “local online bookstore”, she for one of the big four accounting firms. No kids now, but that’s in the 5-year plan. They were pretty open to a broad area, so we looked all over Seattle to parts of Bellevue, Issaquah, and Renton. Both of them were fairly new to the area as well.
The Big Concerns
The biggest concerns that Jason and Audrey had were finding a starter home that was in an up-and-coming area with good schools, and one that would make sense to hold as a rental just in case they were relocated for work. They were also concerned about paying too much for a home, understanding the legalese of the purchase and sale agreement, and having access to reputable home inspectors and affordable contractors to do any necessary work.
The Process
Jason, in particular, was very keen on a lot of due diligence. When he first interviewed Aaron, he had many questions. Aaron listened and whatever information he did not have ready, he was able to get to Jason quickly. Jason liked that behind the scenes, Aaron led a team of professionals that love to do research, and often put together rich analyses, including comparative analyses for homes that were under serious consideration.
After a few months of looking, analyzing, discussing, and narrowing down options, Jason and Audrey found The One. Aaron was able not only able to negotiate a fair price, but after referring them to a phenomenal home inspector, he was able to leverage that inspection to negotiate even more concessions from the seller.
The Outcome
Jason and Audrey closed on their first home, and are loving life!
The experience must have been pretty good, as Aaron got a call about a month later to discuss purchasing a rental property!