Buyers Guide

Joshua Scelsi · Licensed GA & SC

How I work with buyers

This is how buying with me actually goes in the CSRA. I work Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Augusta, North Augusta, and Aiken. Evans, GA realtor · Martinez, GA realtor. I represent you. Straight answers. I don’t take you on tours until we have a signed agreement — open houses are the exception.

This page is a briefing, not a contract, and not legal advice. If questions come up on dates and deadlines later, we go by the executed purchase agreement.

Call or text (706) 250-1399 · josh@augustasrealestate.com

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First things first — pick the right agent

Buying a home is a legal, financial, and personal decision. The agent you hire should be someone you trust to represent you, not someone who just opens doors.

Georgia and South Carolina both require a written agreement before I can represent you as a client. That’s not red tape. That’s the job. I don’t take you on property tours until an Exclusive Buyer Brokerage Engagement Agreement is signed. Open houses are the exception.

This is exclusive

You hire me. I work for you. Not three agents. Not the listing agent on the side.

If you don’t trust me or we don’t connect, say so at the first meeting. I’d rather refer you than spend months on a bad fit. You’re welcome to use this, word for word:

“Josh, I appreciate your time, but I don’t think we’re a good fit. Is there another agent you could refer us to?”

How I get paid

Buyer-broker compensation is negotiated and written before we tour, then confirmed again before we write an offer. It is not set by law.

In most cases we ask the seller to cover all or part of it. Whatever they don’t cover is your responsibility. You’ll know the number before you write an offer — no surprises at the closing table.

You’ll sign the Exclusive Buyer Brokerage Engagement Agreement, the ABC’s of Agency so you understand how representation works in Georgia and South Carolina, and the Buyer’s Broker Compensation Exhibit, which we confirm with the offer.

From first call to keys

When we first meet, we get on the same page about what you need, what you can spend, and how we’ll work. You leave with a plan, not a pitch.

Then you get pre-approved so a lender confirms what you can comfortably buy. I can intro you to trusted local lenders, including VA specialists. After that we build a search — areas, commute, schools, lot, and the few things you will not compromise on — and we tour together. I’ll show you what the photos don’t, and the stuff a trained eye catches.

When we write an offer, it should be clean, competitive, and written to protect you. Price is one lever. Timing, contingencies, and repairs matter just as much. Then we’re in due diligence — inspections, appraisal, title. I’ll help you read the reports, decide what to request, and know when to walk. We keep the file moving through underwriting so issues don’t turn into closing-week emergencies. At closing, keys change hands. I’m still the call when something comes up later. A home is a commitment — maintenance included.

Typical contract-to-close is about 40–55 days once an offer is accepted. Cash is faster. New construction has its own calendar. You should always know where you are and what comes next.

Who does what

I handle reading the market and pricing honestly, scheduling and walking every showing, drafting and negotiating the offer, coordinating inspectors, lenders, and closing, and dealing with problems quickly.

I need a signed representation agreement from you, exclusivity while we’re under agreement, a pre-approval letter or an intro to a lender, honest must-haves, deal-breakers, and timing, and open communication. Loyalty, commitment, honesty.

After we meet

Sign the agreement — it’s short, plain-language buyer representation, and we don’t tour until that’s done. Get pre-approved. If you already have a letter, send it. If not, I’ll connect you with a lender who fits the loan. Fill in the brief below so I know what we’re looking for. Then we tour with a purpose, once you’re approved and signed.

Search brief

The more honest this list is, the more targeted the search. Send it here, or bring it to the consult.