The Ins and Outs of the Real Estate Relocation Process for Billings, Montana
So, you want to buy in Billings?! But you’re located states away…
That’s okay! There’s nothing a Zoom call or FaceTime can’t fix.
In fact, relocations to Billings is one of my real estate specialties and in the last year, I’ve gotten the pleasure of helping SO many people make the move to one of the best places (in my humble opinion) on the planet.
And I can help you do it too.
There are a number of reasons that people choose to relocate here, but one of the most common reasons is because of job opportunities.
I’ve personally worked with many buyers who were relocating for that very reason and in the beginning, I’ll admit it can feel stressful.
When you’re relocating for work, you’re often in a time crunch and need to make moves (literally) quickly.
But that’s where I come in! In a season that is naturally filled with stress, I help you take the guesswork out of it so together we can take strategic action and get you into a house that checks most of your boxes AND fulfills your timeline!
So, how do we do it? Let’s dive into the ins and outs of the real estate relocation process so you can know exactly what to expect.
Your Step by Step Guide For Relocating to Billings, Montana
Zoom Consult 💻
Anytime a relocation buyer reaches out, we all start in the same place – on a handy dandy Zoom call to go through a traditional buyer consult!
This is where I get to know you, your family, your lifestyle, and ultimately the reason you’re planning to move to Billings so that I can serve you specifically.
Ideally, before this consult you would already have a pre-approval ready to go so that we can hit the ground running. If you don’t already have a pre-approval, that’s okay – refer here for detailed guidance on that!
On this initial call, in addition to getting to know you, we’ll also go over your needs and preferences when it comes to buying a home!
For relocation buyers specifically, I usually want to know a few main things:
Do you have kids? If so, we’ll talk about the different school districts!
Is this a forever home or just an establishment? This helps us look strategically.
Is there a certain area of town that you need to be in? (Ex. I work with a lot of doctors who are relocating and need to be close to the hospital.)
Do you prefer to be closer to town near lots of restaurants, shops, etc. or do you prefer something a little more distanced?
All of these questions help me to narrow down your search and make sure that we spend our time wisely
From there, we’ll move into buyer education and expectations, so you know exactly what to expect along the way.
This is when we’ll likely discuss your financing options, the role of inspections, and potential challenges that may arise during the process.
During our consultation, we’ll also potentially discuss an overview of the current local real estate market conditions so that you have all of the updated information on property values, recent sales, and trends in the local housing market.
When buying a home, all of these things are good to have in mind, so you can know what’s realistic during your specific buying process!
Lastly, the buyer’s consultation really serves as a way for the two of us to establish a positive working relationship and gives you clear direction on how to effectively work together to get to the outcome that you ultimately desire – which is of course homeownership in a brand new city or state! 🏠
This call is a GREAT time to ask ME questions too – here’s a quickfire list of questions that are always good to ask your realtor so you can have a clear understanding of their process, experience, and results.
Follow Up With Community Guide 📄
After our call, I’ll take all of the information you provided and get you on the track to a real home search.
If you’ve yet to be pre-approved, I’ll first point you in the direction of my preferred and trusted lender to get that process rolling.
THEN, I’ll send over our Ultimate Community Guide that provides a detailed overview of all of your community options in Billings.
This guide was created to help people like you accurately determine where they want to plant roots by providing details on what the neighborhoods are like, what the home prices are, what’s popular in the area, etc.
The Ultimate Community Guide alone has saved a relocation buyer 2.5 hours on their home search because we were able to eliminate an entire area in Billings. 🤯
This saved us from touring 8 homes that we had previously saved and allowed us to strategically search and tour areas that were a better fit!
After reviewing the guide and deciding which areas you like the most, you’ll send me your preferences and the fun can begin.
Home Search 🔍
The main difference in a home search for relocation buyers is whether or not you’re planning a trip to Billings to tour in person OR if you’ll be doing it all virtual.
I’m here to assure you that either way is okay and I’ve done both!
For either option, I take what we discussed on our initial consult and combine it with your preferences from the Community Guide to set up tours of homes that match your needs.
Ideally, I keep showings under 7-8 per day to eliminate overwhelm and decision fatigue.
If you’re visiting for a weekend, I’ll typically schedule showings for Saturday or Sunday mornings so that you also have the chance to explore town, visit some of the local restaurants, and ultimately just get a vibe for what living in Billings would be like!
What’s really cool about the home search for a relocation buyer is that the timeline is really up to you – if you need it to be more speedy than usual, we can make that happen. The key with that is to simply have a TON of buyer education and that’s where the Community Guide really comes into play!
But if you have some time to spare and simply want to get the process started ahead of time, we can expand your timeline as well.
Offer Submission, Home Inspection, and Appraisal 💸
Once you find the home that you feel confident saying “yes” to for your move, we transition into the traditional home buying process, which includes, offer submission, home inspection, and the appraisal.
These are all normal steps of the process and this blog post gives more insight on why an inspection and appraisal is required and how to navigate each of those confidently!
During this time, you’ll likely need to work with various vendors to get the house in tip top shape for buying – but fear not! I’ve got a list of go to people that you can easily connect with so that you aren’t stuck searching for the right fit.
Under Contract and Closing 🔑
Finally, once you complete all of the necessary steps needed, you get to move closer to closer to the day you’ve been anticipating… CLOSING DAY!
Before you get to hear those magic words “clear to close,” your lender will need to collect certain documents in order for you to move into the under contract phase.
This phase is where time is of the essence and communication is really the key to making this process move faster!
For a more detailed look at what the closing process looks like, click here!
If you’re relocating and don’t plan to be in town for closing day, that’s okay, but we’ll need to decide that ahead of time so that we can plan and have all documents mailed to you accordingly.
If time is of the essence for your transaction, I’ll always recommend an in person closing, but if you can’t swing it, know that it CAN be done remotely, but could take longer than expected.
Overall, I’ll always work with you to make sure your timeline is upheld and that you get those keys in hand sooner rather than later!
Ready to Start the Relocation Process?
Relocating to another state or city might feel like no easy feat, but with the right tools and the right people guiding you along the way, I truly believe it can be a piece of cake.
That’s why working with a local real estate agent who is established in the area you’re moving to and KNOWS 👏🏼 THEIR 👏🏼 STUFF 👏🏼 is so important.
Lucky for you, I’ve got this process on lock and am SO ready to help you make your move to Billings and experience all of the fun that awaits.
So, whaddya say? Are you ready to begin the relocation process?
If you’re relocating to Billings, CLICK HERE to get started and we’ll get the process rolling!
And if you’re moving elsewhere, good news for you – I know people. 😏
Connect here and I’ll get you in touch with a trusted agent in your desired area to start the home buying process with ease!😍