Buying Your Home

Buying Process

For many people buying a home is the most important financial decision of their lives, and at times it can be extremely stressful. Dividend Homes is committed to making your home buying experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Our goal is to make sure your home search ends with the home that makes your heart skip with excitement and satisfaction. To ensure this, our dedicated sales professionals will assist and guide you every step of the way through your home buying process.

Now let’s begin your journey to find the perfect place you will be proud to call home…

1st Step: Decide on the area in which you want to call home.

Dividend builds homes in some of the most desirable cities in the Bay Area. Each of which has many unique attributes such as neighborhood settings, community relations, schools, amenities, employment centers, market values, and so on. Narrow down your search to the area that suit your needs best.

2nd Step: Research your options.

We are certain that our new home communities will be unrivaled by our competitors, but you should do your homework and validate this for yourself. Ask questions- and lots of them! Don’t stop at the price- understand what you will be getting for that price. Our friendly sales staff is happy to meet with you to go through all of the details of what a Dividend home comprises…and you will be pleased by what that long list includes.

3rd Step: Discover your dream home.

Once you have decided on the Dividend community you most adore, it is time to select the home that suits you and your family best. There are many options from exterior elevation styles to floor plan layouts. You can discover a lot about our home designs and floor plans online, however nothing beats the knowledge of our experienced Sales Representatives. Set up a meeting to discuss all you desire in your new home and they can help guide you to the floor plan that is your best match.

4th Step: Get pre-approved.

Once you have found the home you wish to purchase, you will need to get pre-approved. Our preferred lenders are experts in the mortgage industry and are familiar with our Dividend Homes sales process to ensure efficiency in your home lending experience. Go to our Preferred Lenders page to conveniently locate their contact information.

5th Step: Understand the Sales Process.

There is a Sales Process established at each of our new home communities to ensure a smooth and fair selling process. The Sales Process will vary per community. Please consult the community Sales Representative for details on the Sales Process you will need to follow in order to purchase your new home.

6th Step: Execute your sales contract.

It is time to stake claim in your new home! Be sure you have fully read your entire disclosure package to ensure you are fully apprised of all information regarding your new home. We understand there are a lot of details to cover, and our sales staff is there to answer any questions you may have. Once you have executed your sales contract you have officially taken your new home off the market! An escrow account will be opened at this time with your new home deposit.

7th Step: Customize your home.

Once you are in contract, our professional Interior Designer will contact you to set up appointments to choose your interior selections. Cut-off dates by which these selections must be made will be given to you to ensure your home closes escrow on schedule. We understand that this process is not only fun, but very important, and our Interior Designer will be there to assist you ever step of the way! It typically takes three appointments to complete your home selections. If you order any upgrade options, a 50% deposit will be required at the time of the order with the balance due to be paid in escrow when your home is complete.

8th Step: Release your loan contingency.

Providing you are not a cash buyer, your lender will give you a written loan commitment within the loan contingency period per your contract. Once we receive the loan commitment letter from your lender, you will be provided with a loan satisfaction amendment to the contract that removes the financing contingency. This form is necessary in order to complete the transaction of your home purchase.

9th Step: Home walk-through & buyer orientation.

Once your home is complete, the Sales Representative will set up a walk-through and buyer orientation meeting for you with a construction representative. You will receive a 30-day notice prior to your home walk-through. This appointment is always on a weekday. During this appointment the construction representative will explain how everything in the house works and how to maintain it. This is also your opportunity to look for cosmetic damage (e.g. cracked windows or tiles, scratched wood, paint touch up) needing repair. Any items found on the walk-through will be repaired within thirty days, although most of them will be done before you move in.

Note: If you wish to see your home while it is under construction, the Sales Representative will schedule an appointment with you on the weekend so that workers are not in the home. For safety reasons, children are not allowed on the construction site.

10th Step: Sign all final closing documents.

It normally takes about seven days from the date of your walk-through until you become the recorded owner of your home. Your lender will let you know when your sale and loan closing documents will be at the title company. The title officer will contact you to set up an appointment to sign these documents. You will also be given the amount of the funds you will need to deposit into escrow to close on your home, as well as wiring information for these funds. You must bring valid identification with photo ID when you sign documents in escrow, including documents that need to be notarized (such as the lender’s deed of trust). A current California driver’s license or passport is preferred.

11th Step: Your loan will fund.

Once you have executed all final documents, your loan documents will be returned to the lender for review. The escrow holder will ensure that all contract conditions have been met and will ask the lender to fund the loan. If the loan documents are satisfactory, the lender will wire the funds from your loan directly to the title company. Once these funds have been verified in the title company’s account, the deed will be released for recording at the county recorder’s office, usually the following day.

12th Step: Hear the joyful sound of keys jingling!

Upon verification that the grant deed has been recorded, you will be notified by the Sales Representative that you may pick up your keys!

Final Step: Create cherished memories.

Now it is time for the easiest part (well right after unpacking). Enjoy creating many cherished memories with your friends and family for years to come in your beautiful new Dividend home!