Jenn Davida

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Giving Back

One Closing At A Time

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Military Benefits

Valuable benefits designed to help service members and their families.

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Buying a Home

Buying a Home

Let’s Keep It Simple

The process of buying a home does not have to be complicated. While there are a number of steps, it is a fairly straightforward process. A strong Realtor will guide you through every step.

  • Step 1 - Decide on how much you can comfortably afford
  • Step 2 - Research Mortgage/Lender Options
  • Step 3 - Get Pre-Approved for Mortgage
  • Step 4 - Prioritize your Wants and Needs
  • Step 5 - Select Your Realtor
  • Step 6 - Meet with your Realtor
  • Step 7 - Get familiar with your Personal Website
  • Step 8 - Review Homes Daily
  • Step 9 - View Homes
  • Step 10 - Make an Offer, Negotiate and Acceptance
  • Step 11 - Put Up A Deposit
  • Step 12 - Get an Inspection
  • Step 13 - Complete the Application For Your Loan
  • Step 14 - Request an Updated Insurance Quote
  • Step 15 - Request an Appraisal
  • Step 16 - Loan Approval
  • Step 17 - Final Walk-Thru and Close
  • Check your Credit Score and resolve any errors and pay outstanding debt if possible.
  • Put together a list of your assets – all accounts and properties that you own.
  • Estimate a monthly payment using a Mortgage/Loan Calculator

Research Mortgage/Lender Options and Get Pre-Approved

  • Check out current mortgage interest rates. Search the Internet. Rates will vary with different lenders.
  • Talk to your current mortgage lender or bank, especially if you have had a good experience with them in the past.
  • Talk with your real estate professional and friends for recommendations.
  • Ask prospective lenders about their interest rates for various types of mortgages.
  • Compare interest rates for fixed rates, variable rates, 30 year, 20 and 15 year loans.
  • Ask for a “Good Faith Estimate”. If you meet the lender’s qualifications, you will receive a pre-approval letter demonstrating you are a Qualified Buyer with the ability to purchase a home up to a certain amount.

Get Pre-Approved for Mortgage

      If you will not be paying all cash for the purchase of your next home, you will need a loan. Stay ahead of the curve by knowing what loan programs are available and which one is best for you. Learn what current mortgage interest rates are and what you need to close on our new home.

What is Mortgage Pre-Approval?

  • It is a written statement from a lender stating the lender’s preliminary determination of a Borrowers financial qualification for a loan amount. It is typically based on income, credit score and debt. Most pre-approval letters are good for 60 to 90 days to allow a Buyer time to look at homes and make an offer.

    Why you need to get Pre-approved for a Loan?

  • It will give you and accurate idea of how much home you can afford. This will help you and your Realtor in the houses that are truly in your budget.
  • It allows the Sellers to know you are a credible Buyer. Most sellers will not consider your offer without a pre-approval.
  • A pre-approval letter can make you stand out in a competitive real estate market. You will have the ability to act fast while your competition is still making their application.
  • What do I provide to get a Pre-Approval Letter?

  • A lender will need to get your basic information about you and your financial history. You will provide your social security number and give permission for the lender to review your credit. If the information you provide and the information obtained in the credit report satisfies the lender’s guideline, the lender will make a preliminary determination in writing stating you would qualify for a particular loan amount subject to the conditions outlined in your pre-approval letter.
  • Please note that each lender has its own standards and processes for determining pre-approval letters.
  • If there is a co-borrower for the loan, they will need to answer the same questions and provide the same information.
  • How long does it take to get a Pre-Approval Letter?

  • The call on the phone or meeting in person normally takes between 15 and 25 minutes to answer all the questions.
  • The credit will be pulled and reviewed. The information you provided will be entered into their system. You can expect to have a response back within 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
  • A letter is generated within minutes from the initial pre-approval.
  • To Get Started Now on Your Pre-Approval –click here.

Prioritize your Wants and Needs

  • As much as possible, before meeting with your Realtor, it will be helpful to categorize your preferences as “must have” and “would like to have”:
    • Property size
    • Location – city, neighborhoods. Get a map and learn the area. Check out our Neighborhoods Map.
    • Amenities
    • Proximity to jobs
    • School districts
    • Home age and features
    • Convenience to shopping and services

Select Your Realtor

It is important to hire an agent that is full-time, who will commit to giving you the attention and support you need, when you need it.

  • Look for someone who has had a substantial amount of experience in
  • You do not pay a fee or commissions for your Realtor to represent you and guide you through the home buying process. Each agent is compensated at closing with a fee, paid by the Seller that was agreed to when they placed their home on the market.

Meet with your Realtor

  • Great communication is the key to a successful relationship with your Realtor. Discuss your game plan, including your best and worst case scenarios.
  • Share your true feelings with your Realtor about your home purchase…. Your fears, what excites you and your motives.

Get familiar with your Personal Website

  • Jenn will create a website specifically for you that is updated in real time. Benefits of Your Personal Home Search Website: Links your personal website to the official Multiple Listing Service to identify all available properties. Customize your property search with your preferences. Results are shown by map view, list and neighborhoods. Click on a home on the map or list view to see the complete property description. Current pricing, current price increases or decreases. Status of the home (Active, Pending Contract, etc.) Communicate directly with Jenn through the site. Make notes about properties. Mortgage calculator Receive frequent email updates with links to your site whenever a new property is listed.

Review Homes Daily

  • Identify homes that you wish to add to your “view list” to prepare for personal visits.
  • Drive by any homes or communities with which you are not familiar so you may keep or delete them from your “view list”.
  • Talk to neighbors, take pictures and view the home at different times of day.

View Homes

  • Select one or two homes you love. Jenn will make arrangements for a visit.
  • It is always smart to have a backup home that you are equally in love with just in case the first home is taken or your offer does not match the Seller’s expectation.

Make an Offer, Negotiate and Acceptance

  • Just before making an offer, we will get insurance quotes, research any permits pulled, review the Seller Disclosures provided, ask major questions about the home, the HOA, and any other issue that could impact your decision to make an offer, or the amount of your offer.
  • Understand the offer and the terminology used. Here is a link that may help:
  • http://homeclosing101.org/glossary.cfm
  • The offer will include an offer amount, any conditions and a required response period.

Put Up A Deposit

  • The Deposit is the amount in the contract that you agreed to deposit on the home in order for the Seller to remove it from the market while you perform inspections and obtain financing, if necessary.
  • Wire, mail or bring in your Good Faith Deposit (aka Deposit or EMD – earnest money deposit) within in the time allotted on the contract. Get a receipt for your records.

Get an Inspection

All inspections are performed before the allotted time on the contract to make sure the home meets your expectations. Or, if things need to be replaced, repaired, etc. you can make that request to the Seller. Or withdraw from the contract and receive our Deposit back without penalty.

Complete the Application For Your Loan

  • You have already been pre-approved, but now you will sign the actual documents that are sent in to the underwriter along with providing further documentation to support your application, if you have not already done so; (for example, pay stubs, bank statements and tax returns).
  • At this time, you will also be giving the lender money to order your appraisal.

Request an Updated Insurance Quote

  • Please note, an insurance company will often ask for a Wind Mitigation Report and a 4 Point Inspection Report. These are inspections that are done during the home inspection period that may offer a discount if the home does well on the inspection.
  • You may request an initial quote in order to have an estimate on a full mortgage payment and then have it revised with your reports for an accurate mortgage payment.

Request an Appraisal

  • An appraisal is required by the bank to determine how much money it will lend you.
  • The appraisal estimates the value of the property.
  • Once the Appraisal is complete, the lender’s underwriter will finalize the review of the entire loan application and all supporting documents, and a decision will be made on the loan application.

Loan Approval

Occasionally, there may be further conditions or requirements from the lender that must be met as quickly as possible in order to receive the final loan approval.

Final Walk-Thru and Close

Typically scheduled the same day, you will have a final opportunity to confirm that the property meets your expectations. Then, you and your Realtor will meet the sellers to sign all closing documents and provide your payment for the home.

Fun Fact: Your 1st mortgage payment is not due until one to two months from the date of closing.

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CLIENT REVIEWS

  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Jenn Davida is by far the best realtor in our market area. I foregoed the lowest commission offered to us to ensure we got the best experience and lots of... read more clear communication. We are 200% satisfied with the process and Jenn's results. If you want a pleasant experience and best result, I'd strongly recommend Jenn Davida.

    zillow logo
    zuser20170219141859154
    January 12, 2022
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Jenn was amazing to work with when purchasing my new home. She was so helpful with every detail and was always available for questions. The home even closed a few... read more days early.

    zillow logo
    Caroline Turke
    September 3, 2021
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Jenn Davida secured us our perfect home during the craziest market ever! She was able to answer every question we had quickly and accurately, she guided is through our... read more aggressive negotiations with grace and confidence which helped us land our dream home in the area we needed to be in. Professional, kind and connected. There are not enough kind words to express our gratitude for her help.

    zillow logo
    Mary Miller
    July 28, 2021
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  This is the second property that I've bought leveraging Jenn's real estate prowls! I literally contacted Jenn at 9PM at night when I saw a listing on the market in... read more the specific neighborhood we were looking at and she managed to squeeze me into her schedule to view the house the next day. I had an offer prepared that night and was already in a bidding war! Jenn helped me to craft a competitive offer and when I snoozed on my counteroffer in time, she helped convince the seller to make me the formal backup offer. It worked out because we ended up going under contract! You would think it would be smooth sailing from there but we hit several roadblocks during the inspection period and Jenn was a google master trying to find experts to advise us for each issue we uncovered. When our appraisal came in significantly less than we felt should be the right value, she gave me different strategic advise for how to move forward. In the end we were able to close on the house that my husband and I are in LOVE with just in the nix of time before welcoming our first baby. While this was my experience with buying this specific home, the reason I continue to use Jenn is because she is a bubbly personality, super professional, and makes herself available to help her clients achieve their goal (whether selling or buying). If you want an agent that is fighting for a house as if it was her own...than Jenn is your gal. If you want an agent that will entertain all of your questions, no matter how stupid....than Jenn is your gal. If you want an agent that will give you 200% when you're giving 100%...than Jenn is your gal. If you are looking for an agent to sell or buy a home, please do not look further than Jenn. I've used her, my friend has used her, and my cousin has used her....clearly it goes to show that we are all fans and she has managed to help each of us find our dream home. I already plan on using Jenn to sell my condo!

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    Valarie Mahabir
    April 17, 2021
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  I’ve dealt with Jen, and it’s hard to find a better Agent than the Jen in the Tampa market these days. She has been able to answer all my questions... read more without having to wait days or weeks to get an accurate response. She always connect me with the contacts needed to get closer to my investing goals. I Appreciate you so much. and wish you many more successes.

    zillow logo
    parsa11495
    March 16, 2021
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Jenn is the consummate professional! She was with me every step of the way! She truly cares about her clients & their needs/wants! Utilizing her knowledge and experience led me... read more to the perfect hone. Nobody works harder than Jenn!

    zillow logo
    bcorley55
    January 28, 2021
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Jenn was with me for all the steps of purchasing a new construction home. During the construction process we stayed in touch even though it was not much to... read more discuss. Still, it's nice to know somebody is there looking out for your interests. She was there during the walkthrough to help point out the imperfections that needed to be corrected. She was at closing to review the paperwork and explain exactly what I was signing. Jenn is generally easy to reach but if she's busy she never fails to get back to you and communication with her is very easy.

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    mthornak
    January 22, 2021
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Jenn gave me honest advice and guidance on my home sell. She is a true professional that believes in telling people about the entire picture and process. It is a... read more wonderful experience to sell a home with Jenn because she makes herself available for questions and concerns, provides detailed instructions on the steps moving forward, does an excellent job negotiating and provides the best support team available. The professional photographer that she hired was amazing and they were able to get beautiful pictures of the home. Jenn Davida is a real gem!

    zillow logo
    zuser20140427051520200
    December 11, 2020
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Jenn Davida is one of a kind..she is personable, knowledgeable, patient and kind. We are so.grateful to her for making our home buying and selling dreams come true. Thank you... read more Jenn for being you!!!

    zillow logo
    misslondont
    November 19, 2020
  • Zillow 5 Star Review  Five Star Realtor! My wife and I selected Jenn Davida to list a lakefront property in Citrus Park, that we planned to build a custom home on. Jenn implemented a... read more solid marketing strategy, negotiated offers, and closed the deal at the full listing price in less than ninety days! She is dedicated, detail-oriented, and driven. We highly recommend Jenn Davida for your real estate solutions.

    zillow logo
    zuser20160924101425168
    November 7, 2020

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