Buyer Resources

First home? Rental property? Summertime getaway? Kirk specializes in all property types. regardless of your buying needs, we invite you to contact us.

How to buy a home

View a step by step guide on how to purchase a home

Looking for something specific?

Set specific criteria and be notified when a new listing hits the market.

Mortage calculator

Use our simple mortgage calculator to generate rough estimates.

F.A.Q

Common questions about the process of buying a home or property, and the answers to those questions.

Buying with Kirk

Have a first hand look at what it’s like working with Kirk. “Since 2012, each year I have continuously been growing my business. In even a short period of time I have noticed a lot of changes in the industry, marketing is becoming more important than ever. Staying on top of education is important to me and translates into the customer service I am able to provide my buyer/seller client.”

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Home Buying Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to buy a home?

From start (searching online) to finish (closing escrow), buying a home takes about 10 to 12 weeks. Once a home is selected an the offer is accepted, the average time to complete the escrow period on a home is 30 to 45 days (under normal market conditions). Though, well-prepared home buyers who pay cash have been known to purchase properties faster than that.

What is a buyer’s market?

A buyer’s market is characterized by declining home prices and reduced demand. Several factors may affect long-term and short-term buyer demand, like: Economic disruption – a big employer shuts down operations, laying off their workforce.

What kind of credit score do I need to buy a home?

Most loan programs require a score of 620 or better. Borrowers with higher credit scores represent less risk to the lender, often resulting in a lower the down payment requirement and better interest rate. Conversely, home shoppers with lower credit scores may need to bring more money to the table (or accept a higher interest rate) to offset the lender’s risk.

What if my offer is rejected?

Sellers can flat-out accept or reject an initial offer. But there a third path that is quite common, sellers can initiate a counteroffer. Remember this: a deal isn’t dead until it’s dead. So, if a counteroffer is proffered by the seller, you’re still in the game. You and your agent just need to review it determine whether the counteroffer is acceptable. If so, then approving it closes the deal immediately. Keep in mind, offers and counteroffers can go back-and-forth many times; this is not unusual and negotiations are a part of what Realtors do as a matter of routine. Each revision should bring both parties closer together on the terms of the deal.

Do I need to do a final walk-through?

It’s not required, but it’s a darn good idea! Final walk-throughs give buyers a chance to make sure nothing had changed since their first visit. If repairs were requested, as part of the offer, a follow-up visit ensures that everything is squared-away, as expected, per the terms of the contract.

Mortgage Payments

mortgage calculators

Request a free home evaulation

If you would like to request a home evaluation, please fill out the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible.

Kirk Richards REALTOR® Privacy Policy

 

This Privacy Policy describes how your personal information is collected, used, and shared when you visit or make a purchase from https://kirkrichards.ca (the “Site”).

PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and information about how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as “Device Information.”

We collect Device Information using the following technologies:

– “Cookies” are data files that are placed on your device or computer and often include an anonymous unique identifier. For more information about cookies, and how to disable cookies, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
– “Log files” track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps.
– “Web beacons,” “tags,” and “pixels” are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Site.
[[INSERT DESCRIPTIONS OF OTHER TYPES OF TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES USED]]

Additionally when you make a purchase or attempt to make a purchase through the Site, we collect certain information from you, including your name, billing address, shipping address, payment information (including credit card numbers [[INSERT ANY OTHER PAYMENT TYPES ACCEPTED]]), email address, and phone number. We refer to this information as “Order Information.”

[[INSERT ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU COLLECT: OFFLINE DATA, PURCHASED MARKETING DATA/LISTS]]

When we talk about “Personal Information” in this Privacy Policy, we are talking both about Device Information and Order Information.

HOW DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?

We use the Order Information that we collect generally to fulfill any orders placed through the Site (including processing your payment information, arranging for shipping, and providing you with invoices and/or order confirmations). Additionally, we use this Order Information to:
Communicate with you;
Screen our orders for potential risk or fraud; and
When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services.
[[INSERT OTHER USES OF ORDER INFORMATION]]
We use the Device Information that we collect to help us screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address), and more generally to improve and optimize our Site (for example, by generating analytics about how our customers browse and interact with the Site, and to assess the success of our marketing and advertising campaigns).
[[INSERT OTHER USES OF DEVICE INFORMATION, INCLUDING: ADVERTISING/RETARGETING]]

SHARING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We share your Personal Information with third parties to help us use your Personal Information, as described above. For example, we use Shopify to power our online store–you can read more about how Shopify uses your Personal Information here: https://www.shopify.com/legal/privacy. We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use the Site–you can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights.

[[INCLUDE IF USING REMARKETING OR TARGETED ADVERTISING]]
BEHAVIOURAL ADVERTISING
As described above, we use your Personal Information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications we believe may be of interest to you. For more information about how targeted advertising works, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) educational page at http://www.networkadvertising.org/understanding-online-advertising/how-does-it-work.

You can opt out of targeted advertising by:
[[
INCLUDE OPT-OUT LINKS FROM WHICHEVER SERVICES BEING USED.
COMMON LINKS INCLUDE:
FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads
GOOGLE – https://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous
BING – https://advertise.bingads.microsoft.com/en-us/resources/policies/personalized-ads
]]

Additionally, you can opt out of some of these services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal at: http://optout.aboutads.info/.

DO NOT TRACK
Please note that we do not alter our Site’s data collection and use practices when we see a Do Not Track signal from your browser.

[[INCLUDE IF LOCATED IN OR IF STORE HAS CUSTOMERS IN EUROPE]]
YOUR RIGHTS
If you are a European resident, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to ask that your personal information be corrected, updated, or deleted. If you would like to exercise this right, please contact us through the contact information below.

Additionally, if you are a European resident we note that we are processing your information in order to fulfill contracts we might have with you (for example if you make an order through the Site), or otherwise to pursue our legitimate business interests listed above. Additionally, please note that your information will be transferred outside of Europe, including to Canada and the United States.

DATA RETENTION
When you place an order through the Site, we will maintain your Order Information for our records unless and until you ask us to delete this information.

[[INSERT IF AGE RESTRICTION IS REQUIRED]]
MINORS
The Site is not intended for individuals under the age of [[INSERT AGE]].

CHANGES
We may update this privacy policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons.

CONTACT US
For more information about our privacy practices, if you have questions, or if you would like to make a complaint, please contact us by e-mail at krichards@royallepage.ca or by mail using the details provided below:

812 Central Ave, Greenwood, NS, B0P 1N0, Canada

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