Buying
Clear guidance. Smart strategy. No surprises.
Buying a home can feel overwhelming, especially if it is your first time. My goal is to make the process clear from the beginning, explain what to expect at every step, and make sure you feel comfortable asking questions before you make any decision.
Before we look at homes, I want to understand what matters most to you: where you need to be, what feels comfortable financially, and which features would truly make a home work for your life.
I will build a focused MLS search around your needs and use my local relationships to stay aware of opportunities that may be coming before they are widely advertised.
As we walk through a home, we will look beyond the finishes and pay close attention to the items that may affect your budget and long-term ownership, including the roof, foundation, mechanical systems, windows, drainage, well, and septic.
A strong offer is about more than price. We will consider timing, contingencies, closing costs, possession, and your overall goals so the offer is competitive while still protecting what matters to you.
Throughout the negotiation, my responsibility is to represent your interests. I will explain the risks and opportunities clearly and give you honest advice before you sign anything.
I will help coordinate inspections, contract deadlines, your lender, and the title company so you always know what is happening and what comes next.
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We begin with a lender pre-approval, or proof of funds for a cash purchase. This helps us establish a comfortable price range and allows you to submit a stronger, more credible offer when the right home comes along.
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Before touring homes, we will review and sign a written buyer representation agreement. I will walk through the services I provide, how compensation works, and the negotiable terms so you understand the agreement and feel comfortable before moving forward.
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I will create a personalized MLS search based on your criteria so you can see new matches as they become available. We will stay in regular communication and schedule showings based on your availability and how quickly a property needs attention.
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Tell me how you want to be reached — call, text or email — and how often. I'll match it, and you'll hear from me whether or not there's good news.
We will tour homes, compare the strengths and concerns of each one, and stay focused on what is right for you. When the right opportunity appears, I will help you move forward with confidence.
We put price, dates, contingencies and earnest money in writing, and I explain what each of those commits you to.
The seller accepts, counters or declines. We respond with a plan rather than a reaction. Acceptance in writing starts the contract clock.
You choose the inspections — general, septic, well, radon, pest, roof. I'm there for them and we read the report together.
If the inspection turns something up, we ask for repairs, a credit or a price change. The seller can agree, counter or decline, and you can still walk away inside the contingency.
Your lender orders the appraisal and works through underwriting. Keep your documents handy and don't open new credit while this is running.
Underwriting signs off, title work and payoff figures come in, and the closing figures get finalised with the title company.
We walk the property one last time to confirm condition and agreed repairs, then you sign, fund, and get the keys.
Yes — Steven Holliday starts buyers with a pre-approval from a lender, or with proof of funds if you are paying cash. The pre-approval sets the price range the search runs in, and it is what makes an offer credible to a seller comparing it against another one. It comes before touring, not after.
Yes. Steven Holliday reviews a written buyer agreement with you before touring homes. The agreement sets out the services provided, the working relationship and how Steven Holliday is compensated. Its terms — including the length and the scope — are negotiable, and Steven Holliday reads it through with you before anything is signed.
Compensation for Steven Holliday as a buyer's agent is agreed in writing in the buyer agreement before touring begins. It is negotiable and is not set by law. Steven Holliday states what the compensation is and how it is paid up front, so the figure is settled before you look at homes rather than during a transaction.
Steven Holliday sets up an MLS search on your criteria, and new matches are sent to you as they become available so you can say which homes you want to see. Steven Holliday stays in regular communication throughout the search and contacts you directly when a property needs faster attention than an email allows.
Steven Holliday recommends a general inspection at minimum on a rural Logan County property, plus septic and well testing wherever the property is not on public water and sewer. Radon, roof and pest inspections are worth considering depending on the house. Steven Holliday attends the inspections and reads the report through with the buyer.
The buyer files a request for remedies, and Steven Holliday writes it. The seller can repair the item, give a credit, adjust the price, or decline. Inside the inspection contingency period the buyer still has the option to walk away, and Steven Holliday explains which of those options the contract dates still allow.
These are companies I've worked with in this area. You are free to choose any inspector, lender or service provider you like — I receive nothing for naming them, and using them is never a condition of working with me.
Inspection
Lenders
Buyer Guide
Clear guidance. Smart strategy. No surprises.
Let us begin with a no-cost, no-obligation conversation in person or by phone. We can discuss your budget, timeline, priorities, and the communities that may be the best fit for you.
Your agent
Steven Holliday
REALTOR®
Whether you are ready to buy or sell now or are simply starting to ask questions, I would be glad to help. I can walk through a home with you, help you understand what a property may be worth, and explain each step from the first conversation through closing day. You do not have to have everything figured out before you call.
Send me a note below and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I look forward to hearing how I can help.
Steven Holliday, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, State of Ohio — License #2025004145
