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• As a financial planner, Mark Reyes of Albert walks his clients through the financial side of preparing for home buying all the time. 
• But four things were slightly different than he expected in the process of buying his own first home with his wife during the coronavirus pandemic.
• The pandemic created more competition for homes, and also meant many changes to the ways buyers are able to see potential homes. 
• There are some parts of the process that are confusing even in normal times, like getting the right paperwork to mortgage lenders, and the escrow process before closing. 
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