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Buyer's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Buyer's Guide

Buying a home is one of the most exciting milestones of your life. To prepare yourself for this moment, you need to know what to expect during the process. This step-by-step first time buyer’s guide created by your agent will help reduce the stress of buying a home and help you enjoy the journey as much as possible.

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Step 1: Research

Do you already know where you want to buy? If you want a condo, townhome, or single-family home? Which features do you like and dislike? What’s available on the market now? If you answered no to any of these questions, now is the time to start researching. In addition to looking for homes that interest you, also take note of any changes in asking prices. This could give you valuable insight into housing trends in specific neighborhoods and help you when the time comes to make an offer.

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Step 2: Decide on Your Budget

Notice I said to decide on your budget—not determine how much the mortgage company will give you. In many cases, a mortgage company will pre-approve you for more than you’re comfortable spending, which is why you need to determine the monthly payment you feel comfortable with before talking to a lender. This likely includes doing a full household budget and taking into consideration what changes other than a mortgage payment will occur once you move into your new home. If you’ve lived in an apartment or with roommates, you may overlook new expenses like garbage, water, or HOA fees that could easily blow your budget.

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Step 3: Get Prequalified

Just because you think you can afford a certain payment every month doesn’t mean the mortgage company will agree. Just as they may approve you for too large of an amount, they may also approve you for a lesser amount or deny you a mortgage altogether. Lack of time at a job, insufficient credit, past bankruptcies, or other financial issues can cause major problems when trying to secure a mortgage. Before you get your heart set on a home, talk to a mortgage professional to find out what amount you can qualify for. This will also be an advantage when you make an offer on a home, as some sellers won’t entertain offers from those who aren’t already prequalified for a loan.

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Step 4: Choose a Real Estate Agent

Can you shop for, look at, and ultimately make an offer on a home without a real estate agent? Technically, yes, but why would you when it costs you nothing for an agent like me to take much of the stress off your shoulders? Not only will I help identify properties you might be interested in, arrange showings, and ultimately handle the offer process, but I also have a knowledge of the market that you don’t possess. Finding the perfect home can be a daunting task, and this is where my expertise and wealth of knowledge come into play. Let me show you around some homes that meet your dream home criteria so you can find the one that's right for you.

Passion & Expertise

My goal is to provide you with the most personalized service possible, meticulously designed to help you navigate the process of buying your dream home. I am dedicated to understanding your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that every step of the journey is tailored to achieve your ultimate home-buying aspirations.

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Step 5: Find the Right Home

This should be the most enjoyable step of the entire process (other than moving in!). I will arrange showings of homes you’re interested in that are within your price range. Take notes about what you like and don’t like, and make sure to pay attention to details. Turn light switches on and off, open and close doors, and run the faucets in various rooms. Don’t limit your inspection to the home itself. Make sure to take time to explore the neighborhood and keep an eye on traffic at certain times of the day, the parking situation, and how close it is to necessities like schools and grocery stores.

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Step 6: Make an Offer

Once you have selected the perfect home, work with your agent to craft a fair offer based on the value of comparable homes on the market. Depending on what the home is listed at and whether the current environment is a buyer’s or seller’s market, your offer may be below, at, or even above the asking price. I will be able to help you negotiate if you receive a counteroffer and reach an agreement. At this point, the house will go into escrow.

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Step 7: Have the Home Inspected

In most cases, your offer will be contingent on having the home inspected to ensure there is no major structural damage or large repairs needed. I can help you arrange this, and you can schedule it within days of making an offer. If there are no major issues, the process goes to step eight. If there is, you can renegotiate your offer based on what needs to be fixed, or you can withdraw it.

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Step 8: Select Your Loan

Now is the time to go back to the mortgage lender who pre-approved or pre-qualified you and choose your mortgage. You will be presented with various options based on your unique financial situation, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, 15-year, 30-year, or special programs such as VA loans or FHA loans. Work with your mortgage lender to select the option you feel the most comfortable with.

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Step 9: Get a Home Appraisal

Your lender will have your new home appraised so they have their independent value of it. The appraisal is to ensure that all parties involved are paying a fair price for the house.

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Step 10: Finish Paperwork

No one looks forward to all the paperwork involved in buying a home, but it’s a necessary part of the process. Fortunately, everything will be arranged by your lender and title company and, when you’re finished, you’ll know you are the legal owner of your new home.

Congratulations!

After signing the final paperwork to complete the purchase, you are now the owner of a new house. It may take a few days for your loan to be funded once the paperwork has been returned to the lender, but once that check is delivered to the seller, you’ll be all set to move into the home of your dreams.

What Clients Say

Testimonials

Read what clients have to say about working with Megan.

"Megan was absolutely incredible to work with! As a military family we needed to buy a home without first seeing it in person. Megan did an amazing job providing us with virtual walk-throughs. She helped us narrow down our options based on what we were interested in and then she would drop everything to go out to the properties and do a walk through on the same day. She went above and byond by also advising us extensively on selling our last home in a different state at the same time. I cannot say enough good things about the support she provided. I would highly recommend her to anybody."
"Megan was absolutely incredible to work with! As a military family we needed to buy a home without first seeing it in person. Megan did an amazing job providing us with virtual walk-throughs. She helped us narrow down our options based on what we were interested in and then she would drop everything to go out to the properties and do a walk through on the same day. She went above and byond by also advising us extensively on selling our last home in a different state at the same time. I cannot say enough good things about the support she provided. I would highly recommend her to anybody."
Dylan R.
"I recently worked with Megan Reed to purchase my new home in Dayton, OH. I was moving from Biloxi, MS on military orders and couldn’t be there for most of the searching. However, Megan did an excellent job providing me with videos, pictures, and insights to help me find the perfect home from 800 miles away. She was also very knowledgeable about things that would help or hurt a VA loan, which helped save time during the appraisal process. Throughout the entire process, Megan was very responsive, patient, and understanding of the difficulties of buying without seeing it. Her exceptional service made it possible for me to find my dream home in Dayton that was ready to go by the time I we got here. I am so happy with my new home and it is because of her that I got it. Overall, I would highly recommend Megan Reed to anyone looking for a reliable and professional service. She is skilled, experienced, and dedicated to providing the best possible experience for her clients. If you’re looking for a realtor who will go above and beyond to help you find your dream home, this is the one to choose."
"I recently worked with Megan Reed to purchase my new home in Dayton, OH. I was moving from Biloxi, MS on military orders and couldn’t be there for most of the searching. However, Megan did an excellent job providing me with videos, pictures, and insights to help me find the perfect home from 800 miles away. She was also very knowledgeable about things that would help or hurt a VA loan, which helped save time during the appraisal process. Throughout the entire process, Megan was very responsive, patient, and understanding of the difficulties of buying without seeing it. Her exceptional service made it possible for me to find my dream home in Dayton that was ready to go by the time I we got here. I am so happy with my new home and it is because of her that I got it. Overall, I would highly recommend Megan Reed to anyone looking for a reliable and professional service. She is skilled, experienced, and dedicated to providing the best possible experience for her clients. If you’re looking for a realtor who will go above and beyond to help you find your dream home, this is the one to choose."
Buyer
"Megan is amazing! We are a military family and expecting our first baby in 2 months and she helped us find the perfect house within our time line! She is extremely thorough and super descriptive! We did most home tours via video because we moved out of state and she made sure we got every detail on video! She’s also just incredibly sweet and genuine! We absolutely recommend her!!"
"Megan is amazing! We are a military family and expecting our first baby in 2 months and she helped us find the perfect house within our time line! She is extremely thorough and super descriptive! We did most home tours via video because we moved out of state and she made sure we got every detail on video! She’s also just incredibly sweet and genuine! We absolutely recommend her!!"
Buyer
"Megan was very knowledgeable and eager to help every step of the way! Being new to selling, she walked me through it all with such patience. She was focused on me and making sure I got what I needed the whole time."
"Megan was very knowledgeable and eager to help every step of the way! Being new to selling, she walked me through it all with such patience. She was focused on me and making sure I got what I needed the whole time."
Buyer
"Megan was absolutely fantastic and we couldn't recommend more! She was extremely helpful and professional throughout the entire process. We bought a house while living out of town, so she sent us thorough videos from multiple open houses and private walk throughs. She even negotiated with sellers on our behalf while on vacation overseas. Moving across the country can be tough but she made it so much easier for us. We would definitely recommend her to family and friends!"
"Megan was absolutely fantastic and we couldn't recommend more! She was extremely helpful and professional throughout the entire process. We bought a house while living out of town, so she sent us thorough videos from multiple open houses and private walk throughs. She even negotiated with sellers on our behalf while on vacation overseas. Moving across the country can be tough but she made it so much easier for us. We would definitely recommend her to family and friends!"
Matthew F.
"Megan was just absolutely outstanding to work with. My fiancé and I were very nervous about the whole house buying process, since this was our first time. But by the first or second time meeting with Megan, to tour through a house with her, she already felt like family to us. She makes sure to get on a personal level with you while also staying very professional. She’s very great at listening and understanding everything you’re wanting in your new home. She is so kind, thoughtful, caring, easy to talk to and I could go on and on! Since this was our first time buying a house, and we didn’t know how the process would go, we had so many questions and we’re very confused, but Megan was always so helpful and eased all our worries. She definitely goes above and beyond! We are truly so blessed to have Megan, she still continues to reach out to us after her job is done, to check in on us, the house and our lives! We will definitely be reaching out to Megan in the future when we want to sell and find our forever home to start a family in! Thank you again Megan for all you do!"
"Megan was just absolutely outstanding to work with. My fiancé and I were very nervous about the whole house buying process, since this was our first time. But by the first or second time meeting with Megan, to tour through a house with her, she already felt like family to us. She makes sure to get on a personal level with you while also staying very professional. She’s very great at listening and understanding everything you’re wanting in your new home. She is so kind, thoughtful, caring, easy to talk to and I could go on and on! Since this was our first time buying a house, and we didn’t know how the process would go, we had so many questions and we’re very confused, but Megan was always so helpful and eased all our worries. She definitely goes above and beyond! We are truly so blessed to have Megan, she still continues to reach out to us after her job is done, to check in on us, the house and our lives! We will definitely be reaching out to Megan in the future when we want to sell and find our forever home to start a family in! Thank you again Megan for all you do!"
Buyer
"Megan did so much to help us with our out-of-state move. She was responsive and very helpful while we were communicating out of state, and very knowledgeable while we were touring houses in person. She also has a great lender who helped us with our VA loan. Megan had valuable advice and insight along each step of our move and we're very grateful for her expertise!"
"Megan did so much to help us with our out-of-state move. She was responsive and very helpful while we were communicating out of state, and very knowledgeable while we were touring houses in person. She also has a great lender who helped us with our VA loan. Megan had valuable advice and insight along each step of our move and we're very grateful for her expertise!"
Buyer
"We couldn’t have had a better experience working with Megan as first time home buyers. We loved her so much that we immediately reached out to her to sell our home years later as the military moved us around. She is incomparably knowledgeable about the local area. We felt like she was on our team the entire team and provided invaluable insight."
"We couldn’t have had a better experience working with Megan as first time home buyers. We loved her so much that we immediately reached out to her to sell our home years later as the military moved us around. She is incomparably knowledgeable about the local area. We felt like she was on our team the entire team and provided invaluable insight."
Alex A.
"Megan has been there for us from the beginning! We moved to Ohio on a PCS move with the airforce and we bought our first home with her help! She went above and beyond while we were out of state to search, walk through and video chat with us inside the houses. We were beyond lucky to have her, we were nervous to move across the country to a new house without ever stepping foot into it! But she made everything so easy, we trust her completley! We loved the experience so much that when it was time to expand our family we had to work with Megan for our next house and we got our dream home! Thank you for your patience, knowledge and kindness!!"
"Megan has been there for us from the beginning! We moved to Ohio on a PCS move with the airforce and we bought our first home with her help! She went above and beyond while we were out of state to search, walk through and video chat with us inside the houses. We were beyond lucky to have her, we were nervous to move across the country to a new house without ever stepping foot into it! But she made everything so easy, we trust her completley! We loved the experience so much that when it was time to expand our family we had to work with Megan for our next house and we got our dream home! Thank you for your patience, knowledge and kindness!!"
Ryan L.
"Megan did an amazing job finding our forever home. We told her our budget and she stayed in it. She would give us space when looking in the houses, but she would also give us a tour and point out all the potential issues. She really worked hard for us and we are forever thankful."
"Megan did an amazing job finding our forever home. We told her our budget and she stayed in it. She would give us space when looking in the houses, but she would also give us a tour and point out all the potential issues. She really worked hard for us and we are forever thankful."
Buyer
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Megan Reed to purchase my new home, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From start to finish, Megan was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to my needs as a first-time home buyer. I had a lot of questions throughout the process, and Megan patiently helped me understand everything I needed to know. She stuck with me through a very large amount of home viewings and demonstrated a deep knowledge of the area, ensuring I found the perfect home. Her quick responses and reassuring demeanor made me feel confident and never rushed at any point. I highly recommend Megan Reed to anyone in need of a reliable and skilled realtor. She truly went above and beyond to make my home-buying experience exceptional."
"I recently had the pleasure of working with Megan Reed to purchase my new home, and I couldn't be happier with the experience. From start to finish, Megan was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to my needs as a first-time home buyer. I had a lot of questions throughout the process, and Megan patiently helped me understand everything I needed to know. She stuck with me through a very large amount of home viewings and demonstrated a deep knowledge of the area, ensuring I found the perfect home. Her quick responses and reassuring demeanor made me feel confident and never rushed at any point. I highly recommend Megan Reed to anyone in need of a reliable and skilled realtor. She truly went above and beyond to make my home-buying experience exceptional."
Buyer
"Megan went above and beyond in assisting us in selling our home. Megan was involved in all aspects along the way. She was knowledgeable, responsive, and instrumental throughout the entire process of selling our home. She provided house checks after we departed the area due to a military move until the date we sold our home. Megan was responsive to our needs and questions, providing clear expert advice on selling our first home. I would highly recommend Megan to be your realtor."
"Megan went above and beyond in assisting us in selling our home. Megan was involved in all aspects along the way. She was knowledgeable, responsive, and instrumental throughout the entire process of selling our home. She provided house checks after we departed the area due to a military move until the date we sold our home. Megan was responsive to our needs and questions, providing clear expert advice on selling our first home. I would highly recommend Megan to be your realtor."
Seller
"We had the pleasure of working with Megan to both find our new home and sell our previous one, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. Megan was incredibly patient, taking the time to listen to our needs and guide us through every step of the process. Her communication was top-notch; she was always quick to respond to any questions and kept us informed at every stage. Her knowledge of the market and attention to detail were impressive, and she made what could have been a stressful experience much smoother. We felt confident and supported throughout the entire process, from viewing homes to finalizing the sale. Megan truly goes above and beyond for her clients, and her professionalism and friendly attitude made the whole experience enjoyable. We highly recommend Megan to anyone looking for a reliable, knowledgeable, and dedicated realtor. She's everything you could ask for in a real estate professional!"
"We had the pleasure of working with Megan to both find our new home and sell our previous one, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. Megan was incredibly patient, taking the time to listen to our needs and guide us through every step of the process. Her communication was top-notch; she was always quick to respond to any questions and kept us informed at every stage. Her knowledge of the market and attention to detail were impressive, and she made what could have been a stressful experience much smoother. We felt confident and supported throughout the entire process, from viewing homes to finalizing the sale. Megan truly goes above and beyond for her clients, and her professionalism and friendly attitude made the whole experience enjoyable. We highly recommend Megan to anyone looking for a reliable, knowledgeable, and dedicated realtor. She's everything you could ask for in a real estate professional!"
Buyer
"We have been working with Megan for quite a while in these changing and difficult times. She was the one who contacted us when a bid we made was lost to another. She saw it was back on the market for whatever reason, and we are grateful. It is our forever home for our future retirement years. Nothing but good things to say about everything she did for us! Thank you, Megan."
"We have been working with Megan for quite a while in these changing and difficult times. She was the one who contacted us when a bid we made was lost to another. She saw it was back on the market for whatever reason, and we are grateful. It is our forever home for our future retirement years. Nothing but good things to say about everything she did for us! Thank you, Megan."
Buyer
"Megan was just absolutely outstanding to work with. My fiancé and I were very nervous about the whole house-buying process since this was our first time. But by the first or second time meeting with Megan, to tour a house with her, she already felt like family to us. She makes sure to get on a personal level with you while also staying very professional. She’s very great at listening and understanding everything you’re wanting in your new home. She is so kind, thoughtful, caring, and easy to talk to and I could go on and on! Since this was our first time buying a house, and we didn’t know how the process would go, we had so many questions and were very confused, but Megan was always so helpful and eased all our worries. She definitely goes above and beyond! We are truly so blessed to have Megan, she still continues to reach out to us after her job is done, to check in on us, the house, and our lives! We will definitely be reaching out to Megan in the future when we want to sell and find our forever home to start a family in! Thank you again Megan for all you do!"
"Megan was just absolutely outstanding to work with. My fiancé and I were very nervous about the whole house-buying process since this was our first time. But by the first or second time meeting with Megan, to tour a house with her, she already felt like family to us. She makes sure to get on a personal level with you while also staying very professional. She’s very great at listening and understanding everything you’re wanting in your new home. She is so kind, thoughtful, caring, and easy to talk to and I could go on and on! Since this was our first time buying a house, and we didn’t know how the process would go, we had so many questions and were very confused, but Megan was always so helpful and eased all our worries. She definitely goes above and beyond! We are truly so blessed to have Megan, she still continues to reach out to us after her job is done, to check in on us, the house, and our lives! We will definitely be reaching out to Megan in the future when we want to sell and find our forever home to start a family in! Thank you again Megan for all you do!"
Davis G.
"Megan was absolutely fantastic, and we couldn't recommend more! She was extremely helpful and professional throughout the entire process. We bought a house while living out of town, so she sent us through videos from multiple open houses and private walk-throughs. She even negotiated with sellers on our behalf while on vacation overseas. Moving across the country can be tough but she made it so much easier for us. We would definitely recommend her to family and friends!"
"Megan was absolutely fantastic, and we couldn't recommend more! She was extremely helpful and professional throughout the entire process. We bought a house while living out of town, so she sent us through videos from multiple open houses and private walk-throughs. She even negotiated with sellers on our behalf while on vacation overseas. Moving across the country can be tough but she made it so much easier for us. We would definitely recommend her to family and friends!"
Matthew F.
"Megan was very knowledgeable and eager to help every step of the way! Being new to selling, she walked me through it all with such patience. She was focused on me and making sure I got what I needed the whole time."
"Megan was very knowledgeable and eager to help every step of the way! Being new to selling, she walked me through it all with such patience. She was focused on me and making sure I got what I needed the whole time."
Erin D.
"Megan is amazing! We are a military family and expecting our first baby in 2 months, and she helped us find the perfect house within our timeline! She is extremely thorough and super descriptive! We did most home tours via video because we moved out of state, and she made sure we got every detail on video! She’s also just incredibly sweet and genuine! We absolutely recommend her!"
"Megan is amazing! We are a military family and expecting our first baby in 2 months, and she helped us find the perfect house within our timeline! She is extremely thorough and super descriptive! We did most home tours via video because we moved out of state, and she made sure we got every detail on video! She’s also just incredibly sweet and genuine! We absolutely recommend her!"
Matt H.
"Megan was a delight to work with. She was incredibly helpful in making the process of buying sight unseen feel like I was right there touring the house with her. She was very knowledgeable about the neighborhood and played a key role in choosing where to buy. She also helped to set up an inspection and other aspects of the buying process that I would have been without local knowledge had I had to do so myself. Made the first-time home-buying process feel so easy!"
"Megan was a delight to work with. She was incredibly helpful in making the process of buying sight unseen feel like I was right there touring the house with her. She was very knowledgeable about the neighborhood and played a key role in choosing where to buy. She also helped to set up an inspection and other aspects of the buying process that I would have been without local knowledge had I had to do so myself. Made the first-time home-buying process feel so easy!"
Geoffrey M.
"We were so lucky to find Megan. She was able to tease out exactly what we wanted, immediately respond, and set up appointments for us. She was brutally honest when seeing a red flag. Working with her was a dream. I’d argue she’s the best around the area."
"We were so lucky to find Megan. She was able to tease out exactly what we wanted, immediately respond, and set up appointments for us. She was brutally honest when seeing a red flag. Working with her was a dream. I’d argue she’s the best around the area."
Regan G.
"Megan was nothing short of the perfect realtor. She raised the bar tenfold. Knew everything about the areas we looked at and the house down to the finest little details you don't even think about. She went out in a snowstorm to take videos and gave me the play-by-play details of what I was seeing as if I was standing right there beside her of all the houses I was interested in and couldn't make the car ride due to a snowstorm, amazing realtor. 5 stars all around. Goes way above and beyond for her clients."
"Megan was nothing short of the perfect realtor. She raised the bar tenfold. Knew everything about the areas we looked at and the house down to the finest little details you don't even think about. She went out in a snowstorm to take videos and gave me the play-by-play details of what I was seeing as if I was standing right there beside her of all the houses I was interested in and couldn't make the car ride due to a snowstorm, amazing realtor. 5 stars all around. Goes way above and beyond for her clients."
Buyer
"My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Megan Reed during my first home purchase, and I cannot recommend her enough. Megan displayed exceptional local knowledge, and she possessed deep insight into the structural integrity and building standards of the homes we viewed, which made the process much easier. Her expertise in navigating the real estate process made everything from viewing to closing seamless and stress-free."
"My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Megan Reed during my first home purchase, and I cannot recommend her enough. Megan displayed exceptional local knowledge, and she possessed deep insight into the structural integrity and building standards of the homes we viewed, which made the process much easier. Her expertise in navigating the real estate process made everything from viewing to closing seamless and stress-free."
Kellis J.
"I recently worked with Megan Reed to purchase my new home in Dayton, OH. I was moving from Biloxi, MS on military orders and couldn’t be there for most of the searching. However, Megan did an excellent job providing me with videos, pictures, and insights to help me find the perfect home from 800 miles away. She was also very knowledgeable about things that would help or hurt a VA loan, which helped save time during the appraisal process. Throughout the entire process, Megan was very responsive, patient, and understanding of the difficulties of buying without seeing it. Her exceptional service made it possible for me to find my dream home in Dayton that was ready to go by the time I got here. I am so happy with my new home and it is because of her that I got it. Overall, I would highly recommend Megan Reed to anyone looking for a reliable and professional service. She is skilled, experienced, and dedicated to providing the best possible experience for her clients. If you’re looking for a realtor who will go above and beyond to help you find your dream home, this is the one to choose."
"I recently worked with Megan Reed to purchase my new home in Dayton, OH. I was moving from Biloxi, MS on military orders and couldn’t be there for most of the searching. However, Megan did an excellent job providing me with videos, pictures, and insights to help me find the perfect home from 800 miles away. She was also very knowledgeable about things that would help or hurt a VA loan, which helped save time during the appraisal process. Throughout the entire process, Megan was very responsive, patient, and understanding of the difficulties of buying without seeing it. Her exceptional service made it possible for me to find my dream home in Dayton that was ready to go by the time I got here. I am so happy with my new home and it is because of her that I got it. Overall, I would highly recommend Megan Reed to anyone looking for a reliable and professional service. She is skilled, experienced, and dedicated to providing the best possible experience for her clients. If you’re looking for a realtor who will go above and beyond to help you find your dream home, this is the one to choose."
Ross R.
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