Priorities
We’ll talk through location, commute, space, condition, lifestyle, and the features that actually matter to you so we are not wasting time on homes that were never a good fit.
BUYING A HOME
Buying in Richmond & Central Virginia
Find the right home without making the process harder than it needs to be.
Whether this is your first home, your next move, or you’re relocating to Central Virginia, we’ll start with what matters most to you, narrow the options, and take the process one step at a time.
First-Time Buyers • Resale • New Construction • Relocation
A better starting point
A good home search starts before the first showing.
Looking at homes is the fun part, but the search goes a lot better when we understand your priorities, budget, timing, and where you have some flexibility.
I’ll help you sort through the options, understand what you are seeing in the market, and make decisions without feeling like you have to rush just because a house looks good online.
The goal is not just to find a house. It is to find the right fit and understand why it makes sense for you.
Three things we get clear first
Priorities, financing, and strategy.
Getting those pieces lined up early makes the search more focused and gives you a better idea of what to do when the right home comes along.
Financing
If financing is part of the move, we’ll make sure you understand what the numbers look like before you fall in love with a house. I can also connect you with a lender if you need one.
Strategy
We’ll look at the market, how quickly homes are moving, what buyers are competing for, and how aggressive you may need to be when the right opportunity comes up.
The buying process
A clear plan from the first conversation through closing.
You’ll know what we are looking for, what comes next, and what I need from you along the way. I stay involved throughout the process.
01
Start with your goals
We talk about what is prompting the move, what matters most, your timing, preferred areas, and anything that could affect the search.
02
Understand the numbers
If you are financing the purchase, we make sure you have a clear picture of your buying range, monthly payment, and what you will need for the transaction.
03
Narrow the search
We build the search around your priorities and adjust it as we learn more about what you like, what you do not, and what the market is giving us.
04
Tour and compare homes
I help you look past the photos, compare condition and value, spot potential concerns, and think about how each home fits the bigger picture.
05
Build the offer
When you find the right home, we look at the competition, recent sales, the property itself, and the terms that matter before deciding how to write the offer.
06
Get from contract to closing
Once you’re under contract, I help keep inspections, appraisal, financing, deadlines, and closing moving in the right direction.
Finding the right home
There’s more to a home than what you see in the photos.
Part of my job is helping you look past the listing photos and pay attention to the things that can affect how the home actually works for you, from condition and location to HOA details, commute, and long-term fit.
✓MLS search and listing alerts built around your priorities
✓Neighborhood, commute, HOA, and location considerations
✓Property condition, updates, and potential concerns
✓New construction and builder options when they fit
✓Comparable sales and offer strategy
✓Coordination with your lender, inspector, and closing team
We keep adjusting as we learn.
Most buyers do not end up buying exactly what they described in the first conversation. That is normal.
As we tour homes, we’ll learn what matters more than you expected, what matters less, and where you are willing to compromise. I’ll keep the search focused around what we learn instead of making you sort through a pile of listings that do not fit.
New Construction & Land
There’s more to it than picking a floor plan or finding a piece of land.
Both can be great options, but they come with a different set of questions than buying an existing home. My job is to help you slow the process down enough to understand what you’re agreeing to and who is responsible for what.
New Construction
Buying new does not mean you have to figure it out alone.
The builder’s sales team represents the builder. I can help you compare communities and builders, ask questions about incentives and timelines, keep track of selections and deadlines, and stay involved through inspections, walkthroughs, and closing.
I also have the Spicer Team and its builder relationships behind me when a situation calls for additional resources.
Land & Lots
Before you fall in love with the lot, make sure it can support the plan.
With land, the questions can matter as much as the location. Access, utilities, soil work, restrictions, setbacks, and builder requirements can all affect what is possible.
I’ll help you identify the questions that need answers and coordinate with the right professionals before you make a decision.
Relocating to Central Virginia
You can narrow down a lot before you ever get here.
If you’re moving to the Richmond area, we can start with the practical things that shape your search, like commute, budget, property type, daily routine, and the parts of the area you need convenient access to.
✓Virtual consultations before you travel
✓Searches built around commute, budget, and home priorities
✓Video tours when you cannot be here in person
✓Resale and new-construction options
✓Help comparing practical differences between areas
✓Coordination with your lender, inspector, and closing team
We can do the homework before the house-hunting trip.
The goal is not to have you spend a weekend driving all over Central Virginia just to figure out where you want to be.
We can narrow the search first, then use your time here to look at homes and areas that actually fit what you are trying to accomplish.
Military move? If your relocation is tied to a PCS, the Military, Veterans & PCS page goes deeper into that process.
Who you will work with
Personal service, with a team behind it.
When you work with Celestino Homes, you’re working directly with me. I’ll be the person you call, text, and meet with throughout the process.
I’m Jason Celestino, REALTOR® and owner of Celestino Homes. After more than 26 years serving in the U.S. Army and Department of Defense, I built my real estate business around something pretty simple: taking care of people, communicating clearly, and doing the work the right way.
I’m also a member of the Spicer Team and brokered by Hometown Realty, which means my clients also benefit from a broader network of builder relationships, specialized resources, and support when a situation calls for it.
Jason Celestino, REALTOR®
Celestino Homes | Your North Star in Real Estate™
CW4(R), U.S. Army
Buyer questions
A few things buyers usually want to know.
Every situation is a little different, but these are good places to start.
Do I need to be pre-approved before we start looking?
You do not need a pre-approval just to sit down and talk through your plans. Before we get serious about showings or writing an offer, though, it is important to know what the financing looks like and to be ready when the right home comes along.
How do we decide what to offer?
We look at recent sales, current competition, how long the home has been on the market, its condition, and what is happening around that specific listing. Price matters, but so do the other terms in the offer.
What if I am still a few months away?
That is a good time to start talking. We can get clear on areas, financing, timing, and what the market looks like before you are under pressure to make decisions quickly.
Can you help with new construction?
Yes. I can help you compare builders and communities, ask the right questions, review the bigger picture, and represent your interests through the process. The builder’s sales representative works for the builder, so I think it is important that you have someone looking out for you too.
Ready to start?
Tell me what you’re hoping to find.
You do not need to know the exact neighborhood, price, or timeline yet. Give me a little of what you are thinking and we can start there.