Get in Touch With DJ Dube To Learn More
I have been a career Real Estate Agent since 2013 serving residential and commercial clients. The majority of my business comes from repeat clients and referrals. My goal is to make this a great transition for everyone involved and provide an exceptional experience. I want you to feel comfortable and empowered throughout your entire real estate journey. My objective is to customize a plan specific to your situation and needs and to help you make the best real estate decisions possible. I’m your resource and am here to help navigate this journey, so please feel free to ask me questions at any time. I will always have your best interest at heart and with your permission, I will be completely honest when offering my professional expertise. Our discussions will remain confidential to allow you to be open and honest with me; the more I know and understand, the better I can help you make well-informed decisions regarding the purchase of your home. My focus is on building long-lasting relationships and remaining a resource for my clients to turn to long after the purchase is complete. This includes anything from suggesting home improvement contractors to recommending exceptional restaurants in the area.
I am actively involved in my community and serve on several committees for the Greater Hartford Association of REALTORS® and the CT REALTORS® Association. I am also proud to be a Miracle Agent within RE/MAX. Since 1992, RE/MAX has partnered with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The RE/MAX Miracle Home Program is the cornerstone of that partnership. Agents involved in the program make a donation to their local CMN Hospital in honor of the buyer. Agents like myself, who donate a certain amount in a calendar year receive the recognition of being a Miracle Agent. The best part of this partnership is that 100% of this donation goes directly to the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford. I can’t think of a better way to thank you for your business!
I look forward to the opportunity to serve you!
When you first give me a call, I’ll invite you to our RE/MAX office where we can meet at a time that’s mutually convenient. This is a complimentary service I provide so I can get to know you and discuss your thoughts on buying a new home. Whether you are a first-time buyer or you’re experienced, I will treat our meeting with the utmost importance. I’ll go over the process with you, explain all the jargon, and get your thoughts on what you’re looking for. We’ll talk specifics such as type of home, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and how much land you’d like. I’ll use a CT map to highlight all the towns you’d like to look for a home in, discuss with you how we search for homes, and what happens once we find ones you’d like to look at. We set a target date of when you’d like to move into a new home, and if we are a good fit to work together, I will have you sign an “Exclusive Right to Represent” agreement. From there we begin our search.
Enlisting my services is similar to hiring any other professional to help you in their specific area of expertise, such as an accountant to help you with your taxes, a doctor to help you with your health care, or a mechanic to help you with your car. I have devoted many years to researching, learning about, and working in the real estate industry. My vast knowledge and experience are what will help me quickly find the perfect home for you. Although I assist you in becoming an educated buyer, it is my job to take care of the hassles so you don’t have to. I guide you through the home buying process and exclusively represent your interests as I help you find a home, present your purchase offer, put contract terms and conditions together and negotiate for you. I get you to the closing table as smoothly and quickly as possible so you can get your keys and start enjoying your new home. My main goal is to make this a smooth, informative and exciting process.
With me, you have a professional working hard to find and secure the ideal home for you. You won’t need to spend endless amounts of time driving around looking for homes for sale or trying to search online yourself. When you tour homes with me, you already know that the homes meet your criteria and are within your price range.
Just as your accountant, doctor and mechanic get to know your needs through a steady relationship, I will get to know your real estate needs and concerns. This type of relationship is built by open communication at all times, and touring homes together. This way I can get your feedback and hear your concerns about each home.
When you sign the Buyer’s Agency Agreement, you are simply agreeing to “hire” me as a personal representative who by law must represent your best interests to the best of my ability. By choosing me as your agent, you will get a professional who is devoted to protecting your needs and helping you make one of the most important investment decisions of your life.
My main goal is to prepare you to be an educated buyer. Therefore, I will follow these guidelines to make the process as smooth and efficient as possible.
Your main goal as the buyer is to let me help you find a new home. Therefore, please follow these guidelines
to make the process as smooth and efficient as possible
Before we begin looking at houses you’ll need to prepare all of the necessary materials to present to the lender. Your lender will help us determine the price range we need to be in and the type of loan that’s most suitable. There are three key factors that you will need to consider:
There are many different loan types available, some requiring 0% down.
It is often thought that bigger is better when it comes to down payments. In some cases, this may be true. However, this will vary from case to case. A bigger down payment means potentially smaller monthly payments and lowers interest expense for as long as you remain with that mortgage. This can be an important factor for some people. A smaller down payment, however, may allow you to keep extra cash liquid and available for home renovations, or an emergency.
What every buyer should know before purchasing:
Once we have pre-approval/pre-qualification/proof of funds, this will give us an idea of the price range we should be looking at and we can begin looking at homes. The first thing I will do is set up an automatic search on the MLS. Real estate agents use this resource to tailor the search to the criteria you are looking for in a home. I can narrow the search by looking at specific towns, number of bedrooms & bathrooms, whether you want a garage, basement, acreage, etc. Using your criteria, I will set up the search to be automatically sent to your email daily, or as new listings come up. From the comfort of your home, you can look at the property and tell me if it peaks your interest. I can typically show you any home, whether it is listed with an agency, a builder, or even For Sale by Owner. While we are looking, please understand that the perfect house does not exist. However, the information, thoughts, and details you share with me, will help us pinpoint the most desirable homes to focus on. Remember, first we work from location and must haves in a home. Then we can work with your wish list items.
Once you have a house or houses that you’d like to see, we will set up a time to go see them together. Before doing so however, please do a drive by, or at minimum, Google Map it for location. Get a feel for the commute, neighborhood, and things you do and don’t want to be near. Then, let me know the properties you still wish to see. We will do our best to get all the visits completed in one day, depending on the timing and the proximity to one another. In the meantime, if any of the homes you’re interested in are having open houses, please feel free to attend.
While we are in houses for showings or open houses, assume ALL houses have Alexa or Ring devices, nanny cams, etc., and assume ALL are set on audio and/or video recording. Because of this, try to remain neutral while touring since the seller can see and hear what you’re saying.
Please do:
Please don’t:
You found it! The house you can see yourself in! Now it’s time to make an offer. We’ll start by discussing how the price sounds to you, how much other interest there is in the property, what condition it’s in, etc. I’ll draw up a purchase contract and send it to you electronically. Once you’ve reviewed it, you’ll send it back to me and I’ll forward it to the seller’s agent. After that, it’s a waiting game. The seller’s agent, along with the seller/decision maker(s) will look at all the offers and discuss their options. I’ll be in touch with you periodically to update you on the status. Hopefully, sooner, rather than later, I’ll be able to tell you that your offer is the one that’s been accepted!
Congratulations! Your offer has been accepted! I will walk you through the process of what happens next so you can feel confident in your new purchase. I’ll work with the lender and the attorneys to make the process as easy and efficient as possible. Most meetings, with the exception of the inspection and the closing, will be remote. In the meantime, I’ll review documents with you, assist with inspections, and work towards a closing date.
During the transaction, several things are going on behind the scenes. The lenders, inspectors, both attorneys, seller’s realtor and I, will be performing necessary duties. I will act as the coordinator for all activities from this point and will keep everyone in the loop.
Financing
Inspection
Having a property inspected before you close is a crucial part of the home buying process. Although it can feel overwhelming, it will provide you with objective information of the home and its components and allow you to see the “health” of the house before you make your final decisions. During the process, we are looking for substantial issues such as structural, fire, and safety. It is always better to see what you are getting, rather than finding out later that there’s a problem that needs repair. This situation cannot only cause huge disappointment, but a hefty fee to fix. While some home buyer’s do opt to waive the inspection, I do not recommend it. I can connect you with several valued home inspectors who will gladly walk you through the home, and report on their findings.
This is the day you’ve been waiting for! The closing on your new home! You are probably feeling a mixture of emotions – excitement, nerves, etc. Again, my role is to be here for you to make the process less stressful. The closing date has been set and you will sign documents at your attorney’s office. You’ll bring the appropriate funds to the closing (cash to close – remainder of down payment & closing costs), along with your identification and any last-minute questions.
Just before closing, we will do a final walk through of the home. This last step is to verify that no damage has been done to the property since the inspection, any agreed upon repairs have been completed, nothing from the purchase agreement has been removed from the home, and that no additional/unexpected items were left behind. You’ll then go to the closing and sign the final paperwork with your attorney.
At the closing you will have a number of closing costs. In most circumstances, you will be required to bring a certified bank check for the costs. It is likely that you will not get the actual amount required until the day of closing, possibly hours before the scheduled closing time.
Prorated to the closing date
Taxes, oil/propane, sewer & water, HOA fees, solar, etc.
Per Closing Disclosure
Attorney fees, loan fees, points, appraisal, homeowners, recording fees
Enlisting my services is similar to hiring any other professional to help you in their specific area of expertise, such as an accountant to help you with your taxes, a doctor to help you with your health care, or a mechanic to help you with your car. I have devoted many years to researching, learning about, and working in the real estate industry. My vast knowledge and experience are what will help me find the perfect home for you quickly. Although I assist you in becoming an educated buyer, it is my job to take care of the hassles, so you don’t have to. I guide you through the home-buying process and exclusively represent your interests as I help you find a home, present your purchase offer, put contract terms and conditions together, and negotiate for you. I get you to the closing table as smoothly and quickly as possible, so you can get your keys and enjoy your new home. My main goal is to make this a smooth, informative, and exciting process.
With me, you have a professional working hard to find and secure the ideal home for you. You won’t need to spend endless amounts of time driving around looking for homes for sale or trying to search online yourself. When you tour homes with me, you already know that the homes meet your criteria and are within your price range.
Just as your accountant, doctor and mechanic get to know your needs through a steady relationship, I will get to know your real estate needs and concerns. This type of relationship is built by open communication at all times and touring homes together. This way I can get your feedback and hear your concerns about each home.
When you sign the Buyer’s Agency Agreement you are simply agreeing to “hire” me as a personal representative who by law must represent your best interests to the best of my ability. The Seller’s Agent is typically responsible for compensating the Buyer’s Agent. By choosing me as your agent, you will get a professional who is devoted to protecting your needs and helping you make one of the most important investment decisions of your life.
In Connecticut, Real Estate brokers and their salespersons are required to disclose the type of working relationship they have with the clients in a real estate transaction. There are several types of relationships that are available to you. You should understand these nuances at the time a broker provides specific assistance to you in buying real estate. Buyer’s Agent and Seller’s Agent relationships are commonly referred to as “agency” relationships and carry with them legal duties and responsibilities for the broker as well as the buyer and seller.
Definition from the State of Connecticut: “Buyer’s Agent” means a real estate broker or real estate salesperson who acts in a fiduciary capacity for the buyer and/or lessee in a real estate transaction.
When a buyer enters into an agreement for representation with a buyer’s agent, the buyer becomes the buyer’s agent’s client. Buyer’s Agents act solely on behalf of the buyer and owe duties to the buyer, which include the utmost good faith, loyalty, reasonable care, disclosure, obedience to lawful instruction, confidentiality, accountability, and fidelity. The buyer may authorize the buyer’s agent to contact other brokers, including associates of other real estate firms, to represent the buyer in locating the property as the buyer’s agent. The agent must disclose to sellers all adverse material facts concerning the buyer’s financial ability to perform the terms of the transaction and whether the buyer intends to occupy the property. A separate written buyer’s agreement is required which sets forth the duties and obligations of the parties.
A buyer agent represents the best interests of the buyer. An exclusive buyer agent has fiduciary duties to the buyer, and may not disclose to the seller the highest price the buyer is willing to pay for a property. That agent is also required to keep all other information confidential, other than their client's financial ability to qualify for a house.
Definition from the State of Connecticut: “Seller’s Agent” means a real estate broker or real estate salesperson who acts in a fiduciary capacity for the seller and/or lessor in a real estate transaction.
When a seller enters into an agreement for representation with a seller’s agent, the seller becomes the seller’s agent’s client. Seller’s Agents act solely on behalf of the seller and owe duties to the seller, which include the utmost good faith, loyalty, reasonable care, disclosure, obedience to lawful instruction, confidentiality, accountability, and fidelity. The seller may authorize the seller’s agent to contact other brokers, including associates of other real estate firms, to represent the seller in marketing their property as seller’s agents. The agent must disclose to buyers all adverse material facts about the property known by the broker. A separate written listing agreement is required which sets forth the duties and obligations of the parties.
A seller agent represents the best interests of the seller. This agent has fiduciary duties to the seller including keeping the seller informed about comparable prices in their market area, preparing a comparative market analysis for their property, developing advantageous advertising campaigns, and guiding the seller to set an attractive listing price for their home.
Definition from the State of Connecticut: “Dual Agent means a real estate broker or real estate salesperson who acts in a fiduciary capacity for both the buyer and the buyer or lessee and lessor.”
A dual agent may represent both the buyer and seller in the same transaction, provided that such dual agent obtains the informed consent of the parties. The dual agent is then considered a disclosed dual agent and owes the buyer and seller a duty to deal with them fairly and honestly. In this type of agency relationship, the dual agent does not represent either the buyer or seller exclusively, and the parties cannot expect the dual agent’s undivided loyalty. The dual agent may not disclose any confidential information that would provide a negotiating advantage to either party but must provide non-confidential information that each party requests in order to accept the terms of the transaction. Both clients must agree, in writing, that they understand the possible consequences of an agent being unable to maintain confidentiality and loyalty to both clients.
DJ will always have your best interest at heart and with your permission, she will be completely honest when offering her professional expertise. DJ looks forward to the opportunity to serve you!
Get in Touch With DJ Dube To Learn More
