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Home Buyer’s Guide

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My Mission For Home Buyers

Lewis is committed to helping you successfully buy the best home for the lowest price and with the fewest inconveniences. His reputation and livelihood depend on your satisfaction. To accomplish this, Lewis will listen to you, learn your wants and needs and be your advocate to ensure your best interest is upheld throughout the entire transaction including Home Search, Negotiations, Contracts, Escrow, Closing.

Professionalism In Real Estate

Lewis believes that CLIENT LOYALTY is the highest achievement obtainable in Real Estate sales. Lewis is pleased to report that over 99% of his business comes from clients, friends, family and referrals.

Proper Education
Lewis has been a licensed Realtor since 2000. In 2003, he met all the professional requirements and completed the prescribed schooling to receive his Real Estate Brokers License. He was an Associate Broker for 10 years, and in 2012, he created Lakeview Realty where is the Principle Broker and owner. Lewis continues learning and stays abreast of market trends, conditions and statistics.
Real Experience
As a Real Estate Broker, Lewis has helped hundreds of clients buy and sell properties over his career. His average is over $10 million dollars of Real Estate sales per year. This production ranks him in the top 1% of Realtors nationwide. Having guided this number of clients through the home buying and selling process, there are very few problems that arise that he does not know a sensible solution for.
True Commitment
Client Commitment is difficult to quantify but it is the most important ingredient to a successful Real Estate transaction. Lewis adheres to a high code of ethics and always puts his client’s best interest first. He believes failure to do so would compromise his fiduciary duty to his client and would result in a failing transaction and career. By always putting his client’s needs first Lewis exemplifies true client commitment

Testimonials

Personal Care

Lewis, Dee and I were very impressed with the personal care we and Sally received from your very professional service. I cannot think of anything that was not done. After building five new homes in our lifetime that is a real compliment. We very much appreciated all that you have done to help Sally through this first time buying experience. You were always there and kept us appraised of what was happening

Len & Dee Home Seller
Review Photo
Comfortable Process

You have helped explain every aspect of purchasing a home to us so that we felt comfortable throughout the whole process. For this, we are grateful. We also wanted to thank you for your patience with us and our seemingly never ending questions. We truly appreciate all of the time that you took to ensure that our questions were answered fully.

Meghan & Brandon Home Seller
Review Photo
Awesome Experience

He is very knowledgeable, fun, and on top of it all. I expected him to get upset when I told him I wanted to make an offer on our third home. He stayed calm which made all the difference. Thank you for all your time and expertise. We appreciate you!

Dan Taylor Home Seller
Review Photo
Best Realtor

Tom-Nikki-Pittman-Family-PhotoLewis, you (and your team) are the best Realtors we have ever known, and we’ve know a lot. You’ll continue to get referrals from us, and when we are ready to invest in this area, you’ll no doubt get return business as well. Thanks again

Nikki & Tom Home Seller
Review Photo
Lewis Barton Photo

I have great clients who refer me to their friends and family who are wonderful people too! I love working by referral.

Why I Work
By Referral

Relationships Are Most Important
My business is built on relationships. I work to provide my clients with outstanding service and care during and after the purchase or sale of their home. My clients are my friends and I care about each one. I have served many clients and their families for over 20 years.
Education
Before each transaction I take the time to educate my clients regarding the current real estate market and the home buying or selling process so they know what to expect. This knowledge helps my clients know what’s normal and what’s not, it also gives them confidence in negotiations and throughout the entire transaction.
You Control My Business
Your referrals are the foundation of my business so I aim to exceed your expectation every step of the way. Working by referral allows me to spend my time focused on my client’s transactions and not drumming up business. It’s a win-win relationship!
Service Continues After The Sale
I am devoted to serving your needs even after the sale is complete. If you need a professional referral, helpful advice or a great agent for your out of state friends or family, I am here to help.

Home Buying Process

  • Consultation
  • Pre-Approval
  • Property
    Search
  • Home Viewing
  • Write Offer
  • Disclosures &
    Inspections
  • Closing
  • Move In
Consultation

The buyer consultation is the first step in helping you find your dream home. During the buyer consult one of our experienced agent partners will go over the process of buying a home in New Jersey, what to expect and help answer any questions you may have. Additionally, we complete a needs analysis which our clients really find a lot of value in because it helps pinpoint exactly what is most important to you in a home, our saying is we would rather ask 5,000 questions and show you 5 homes to find your dream home than ask 5 questions and waste your time showing you 5,000 homes.

After the buyer consults, we will also take you on town tours if you are unfamiliar with our communities. Town tours are totally custom, and typically show you the schools, downtown, parks, best restaurants and explain the various sections of our gorgeous communities. Clients rave about the town tour process, it really helps narrow your search to your favorite community. No one buys a home without first being sold on the community.

Buyer’s Responsibilities

  • Designate Lewis as your exclusive Real Estate Agent.
  • Obtain a loan prequalification letter and a fee worksheet from your loan officer and learn the details of your loan.
  • Tell Lewis about the homes and neighborhoods that you are interested in. Including; homes listed for sale by other real estate brokerages, for sale by owners, new construction, online, open houses and driving around.
  • Coordinate schedules in advance to see homes.
  • Inform other agents, builders and For Sale By Owners that Lewis is your Realtor.
  • If you are interested in building a new home, coordinate with Lewis before you visit the builder’s model home so he can register you.
  • Tell Lewis what you like and don’t like about the homes you see.

Your Team

Lewis Barton Photo
Site Logo Lewis Barton Real Estate Broker
Kim Peterson Photo
Site Logo Kim Peterson Licensed Assistant
Jon Chamberlain Photo
Security Home Mortgage Jon Chamberlain Loan Officer
Ryan Ostler Logo
Ryan Ostler Title & Escrow
Mark Nance Logo
Mark Nance Home Inspector
Elevate Home Warranty Logo
Elevate
Home Warranty
Www.elevatehw.com
Choosing a Lender Photo

Choosing a Lender

  • Since you’ll be discussing important financial information, pick a loan officer that you trust and enjoy working with.
  • Whenever possible meet them in person.
  • Get a loan pre-qualification letter and ask them to email it to both you and me.
  • Ask the loan officer to provide you with a closing disclosure and explain it to you. This interaction will help you decide if you like them or not.
  • Discuss which loan program is best for you. Factors of the loan program to consider are:
    • Required down payment
    • Closing costs
    • “Pre-paids”
    • Interest rates
    • Underwriting process
    • Closing time frame
    • Cash required at closing
    • Monthly payments
Provide The Following Information To Your Loan Officer:
  • Last 2 years w-2’s
  • All pages of last 2 years filed tax returns
  • Social security card and driver license
  • One full month’s pay stubs showing year to date earnings
  • 2 months bank statements (all accounts & all pages)
  • 3 months of all retirement accounts; 401k, roth’s, stocks… (all accounts & all pages)
  • If you are not a u.s. Citizen, bring a copy of your resident alien card
  • Loans require additional documentation. Please discuss details with your loan officer

FHA
VS.
Conventional

Which loan is right for me?

FHA Loan
Positives
  • + 3.5% minimum down payment
  • + Easier qualifications
  • + Lower interest rates
  • + First time home buyers may combine FHA loans with down payment assistance programs
  • + FHA loans are assumable
  • + Possible streamline no cost refinance
Negatives
  • - Monthly Mortgage Insurance for the life of the loan
  • - FHA Loan limits for single family homes:

    Utah county: $401,350
    Salt Lake county: $416,300
Conventional Loan
Positives
  • + Conventional Loan Limit: $510,400
  • + Can be combined with first and
  • second mortgages
  • + You can pre-pay your mortgage insurance through closing, so you do not pay it monthly
  • + You can drop mortgage insurance once the bank confirms there is 22% equity in the home.+ 3% or 5% minimum down payment required
Negatives
  • - Higher Credit Score required
  • - Lower minimum debt to income ratio allowed

Contact Lewis when you think you have 20% equity so he can do a comparative market analysis to confirm your equity amount.

Buyer’s Financial Responsibilities

I. MINIMUM DOWN PAYMENT
  • 3.5% FHA
  • 5% Conventional
  • 0% VA
  • 0% USDA
II. CLOSING COSTS
  • Consult with your Loan Officer for accurate closing costs
  • 1% Loan origination 
  • 1% Title; title insurance, closing and recording 
  • 1% ‘Pre-paids’; mortgage insurance, interest, taxes, home owners insurance, and HOA fees if applicable 
III. EXAMPLES OF “SELLER PAID CLOSING COSTS”
Example I - Full Price Offer
  • List Price is: $300,000
  • Sales Price: $308,000
  • Seller to Pay $8,000 for Buyer’s Closing Costs
  • Seller Net is: $300,000
Example II - Seller Pays Buyer’s Closing Costs
  • List Price is: $300,000
  • Sales Price: $300,000
  • Seller to Pay $8,000 for Buyer’s Closing Costs
  • Seller Net is: $292,000
Example III - The Compromise
  • List Price is: $300,000
  • Sales Price: $304,000
  • Seller to Pay $8,000 for Buyer’s Closing Costs
  • Seller Net is: $296,000
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5 Mistakes Home Buyers Make

Refusing To Consider Purchase Of A Home With Dated Décor

“Sometimes people can’t see past the decorating that’s been done,” says Rhyne, a Prudential agent. The fact is that many people can’t see the potential of some fine properties because of old paint, worn carpeting or dated appliances. “People like all-white kitchens. So they walk into a kitchen of a house with harvest gold appliances and then walk right out,” she says. Looking beyond the obvious, you could see that the house with the gold appliances may also have spacious bedrooms and fine hardwood floors underneath threadbare carpets. Smart home buyers know that since so few can see the potential of a house with dated décor, such a diamond in the rough can be a very good deal.

Using An Inexperienced Home Inspector
House Shopping Before Prequalifying
Tying To Buy A New Home Without Selling Your Current Home First
Trying To Buy An Impractical Lifestyle

Ready To Find Your Dream Home?

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