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Preparing to Buy

Before you start shopping for your property, it is a good idea to make some preparations.

Build Your Green File.

A green file contains all your important financial documents. You will need it to secure financing for your property. The typical green file should contain:

  • Financial statements
  • Bank accounts
  • Investments
  • Credit cards
  • Auto loans
  • Recent pay stubs
  • Tax returns for two years
  • Copies of leases for investment properties
  • 401K statements, life insurance, stocks, bonds, and mutual account information.

Check Your Credit Rating.

Your credit score will have a huge impact on what type of property you can buy, and at what price. It is first recommended to check your credit rating with an experienced lending institution so that we can determine what you can afford. The lender will research your credit ratings from the three credit reporting agencies Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. We will be happy to recommend experienced, knowledgeable lenders in the residential, construction, and commercial and investment real estate fields.

Be Careful With Your Finances.

Now is not a good time to make sudden career changes or large purchases. You want to approach your property purchase from a position of financial stability.

What Our Clients Say

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Stella & Stephanie were fabulous during the sale of our home. They were knowledgeable, friendly, available and support. Stella & Stephanie worked extremely hard and knew the local market exceptionally well. We would highly recommend them. Best real estate agents...

Tim Condon
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We recently had the pleasure of working with Stephanie to purchase our first home, and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. From our very first conversation, we knew she was going to help us find the perfect fit and...

Cadie O'Connor
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Stephanie and Stella are AMAZING. In 2023 Stephanie helped me purchase a perfect townhome in Walnut Creek checking all of my boxes at the time. I then met my now-fiance one month after closing on that townhome. Fast forward to...

northrupconsulting
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stephanie and stella were fantastic helped me buy my dream home they were so patient and knowledgeable. and listened to my feedback and adjusted searches accordingly their office team is wonderful too...

colochag2000
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When my sister and I set out to sell our family home in the Happy Valley area of Lafayette last fall, we interviewed three realtor teams, ultimately deciding to go with Stella Tsakonas and her daughter, Stephanie Mull. We couldn't...

sodier
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Working with Stella and Stephanie was a great experience. We needed to sell our Lafayette home within a few weeks so we could buy another house. The sales process required acceleration, and to make things more complex, a neighbor was...

Bob & Robin
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Stephanie and Stella were wonderful to work with during the purchase of our home in Lafayette! Steph was my main point of contact, and she always went above and beyond to help me out whenever I needed something. Every time...

Anna & Mike
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If ever there were superhero realtors, they would be Stella and Stephanie. We were on a tight schedule, with only a few short weeks to move out and sell our house due to relocation. I was quite stressed with everything...

The Wu Family
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I have so many wonderful things to say about Stella and Stephanie. Where do I begin? For starters, these two patiently worked with me and my husband for the better part of a year as we searched for our first...

Eric & Julia
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Stephanie & Stella are incredible. We could not be more thrilled with their local market knowledge, guidance and overall support throughout our home buying process. They are smart, thoughtful, well-respected and astute negotiators. I am so thankful we had the...

Andrea & Brady
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