Buying with Dorazio Real Estate
Chicagoland Buyer's Agents
Dorazio Real Estate helps you buy homes, condos, 2-4 flats, and investment property across Chicago and the suburbs. With thousands of offers behind us, we help you win the right home at the right price and keep the deal on track to closing.
Photo: Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels.
Before the first showing
Get ready before you tour
When the right home hits the market, you might have 24 to 48 hours to write an offer. That leaves no time to pull your paperwork together, so do it first.
Preapproval, not prequalification
A prequalification takes your word for it. A preapproval means the lender has checked your income, credit, and bank accounts. Sellers know the difference, and so do the buyers you're competing with.
Know your monthly payment
Our mortgage calculator estimates principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance for conventional, FHA, and VA loans. Run a few price points before you tour.
Tell us what you need
Our new client profile tells us your goals and needs before we start, so the first homes we send fit.
Buying with a VA loan
A prepared VA buyer with a solid preapproval competes well. Our VA loan page covers the benefit, the appraisal, and buying a 2-4 flat.
Winning without overpaying
Write an offer a seller trusts
Sellers want to know you'll close. A buyer who offers a little less and arrives organized, preapproved, and easy to work with often beats the highest bid.
A clean offer
A clean offer has fewer conditions that make a seller nervous, and you keep your protections. Flexibility on the closing date, a quick inspection, and a strong earnest money deposit all help.
Comps for the house
Check what similar homes sold for in the last 90 days and how long this one sat before it drew attention. A house with a worn-out roof and an old kitchen should be priced like one.
A number you'll hold
Decide what the house is worth to you before you write the offer. If someone else pays more, let it go. Your budget after closing matters more than winning a bidding war.
After the seller says yes
Inspections for Chicago's older homes
Chicago's housing stock is older, and every home has flaws. Focus the inspection on health, safety, and structure: the roof, plumbing, electrical, and foundation.
We often suggest two tests beyond the standard inspection. A sewer scope runs a camera through the main sewer line, where old clay tile, cast iron, and Orangeburg pipe can crack, collapse, or fill with roots. In Chicago, owners of single-family homes and 1-4 unit buildings pay to repair cracks on their side of the sidewalk. A radon test takes about 48 hours and is common in Illinois, above all in the suburbs.
Mold in an attic or basement can stall a deal. An inspector or a mitigation company can tell you what you're dealing with, and most mold problems have a fix. Read our posts on sewer scopes and radon testing.
What you agree to
Read the contract before you sign
Earnest money and contingencies
Earnest money shows the seller you're serious, and it goes toward your closing costs in most deals. Contingencies for financing, inspection, and appraisal have to be met before the sale can close. Know what happens to your deposit if you back out.
Fixtures and appliances
Washers, dryers, and free-standing refrigerators don't come with the house unless the contract lists them. Get each item you want written in, then check for it at the final walk-through.
Deadlines
Earnest money, inspections, repair requests, and loan approval all run on contract dates, and none of them move because your schedule changed. We track each date with you and your attorney.
Our post on fixtures and appliances in your contract covers the items buyers fight over most.
Local guides
Buying in a town we cover
Each town guide covers the housing, the schools, and what to check before you buy.
- Buying a home in Beverly and Mt. Greenwood
- Buying a home in Oak Lawn
- Buying a home in Evergreen Park
- Buying a home in Palos Hills, Palos Park, and Palos Heights
- Buying a home in Alsip
- Buying a home in Bridgeview
- Buying a home in Hickory Hills
- Buying a home in Willow Springs
- Buying a home in Blue Island
- Buying a home in Wheaton
- Buying a home in Naperville
- Every area we serve
Questions buyers ask
Questions from Chicago home buyers
How much do I need for a down payment?
That depends on the loan. A VA loan needs no down payment as long as the price doesn't top the appraised value, and an FHA loan needs at least 3.5%. You'll still need cash for closing costs. Many buyers qualify for state and local help, including IHDA programs, so ask your lender.
Can I buy a home and sell mine at the same time?
Yes. We coordinate both closings so the sale and the purchase line up, including deals where each side depends on another buyer or seller. Our listing agents page covers the selling side.
Can you help me buy a rental property or a 2-4 flat?
Yes. Our agents were investors first. Ask the seller for rent rolls, leases, and 24 to 36 months of income and expense records in your first request. Start with our multifamily and investment property page, and see fix and flip and mixed-use property for those deals.
What if the appraisal comes in low?
A low appraisal doesn't end the deal by itself. Buyers and sellers often meet in the middle with a price change or a closing cost credit.
Can I buy a home from out of state?
Yes. We tour homes for you by live video, record the neighborhood, and send notes from the inspection. Our relocation concierge covers moves to Chicagoland on PCS orders.
Does the Homes for Heroes rebate work when I buy?
Yes. Veterans, active-duty military, firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, healthcare workers, and teachers who buy with us get a Hero Rewards check after closing. You have to enroll before closing, so read how it works first.
What should I avoid while my loan is in underwriting?
Skip new credit, large deposits, and moving money between accounts. Any of them can pause the loan while the lender rechecks your income and assets.
Start with a conversation
Start with the home you want
Tell us where you want to live, what you can spend, and when you need to move. We'll talk through the loan, the neighborhoods, and the first homes worth seeing.
Or send a note through our contact page.