Buying a home can feel overwhelming and stressful, but with the right tools, you can make this monumental process simple. The following is our list of the top 3 most important steps to making your home-buying experience a breeze!
- Goals
- Mortgage Loan
- Property Search
- Write down your goals.
- Why are you buying a home? Is it for short term or long term? Will it be for investment purposes or your primary residence? The answers to these questions will help you determine your path. As always, consulting a qualified professional whom you can trust is vital. They should be able to give you free advice and consult you on how to achieve your goals or who to speak with.
- Contact a qualified Mortgage Loan expert who can help you with the following.
- Credit Check- is your credit where you need it to be? If not, don’t get discouraged, there are many ways to work on it. Making it a goal and priority is vital.
- Determine what kind of loan and Purchase Price you qualify for. (Remember…Just because you can qualify for it doesn’t mean you can afford it)
- Determine how much down payment and funds you will need to qualify for the loan (Keep in mind that loans have closing costs as well)
- Get Pre-Approved (This can be a tedious process, but believe me the more work you put in upfront the better the chances are that your offer gets accepted when shopping for your home. In this market, most sellers will require a Pre-approval before you can even submit an offer)
- Take a look at some properties.
- While getting Pre-Approved meet with your Qualified Realtor.
- Create a list of home desires you want in your home. Which ones are a must and which ones would be nice but are not deal-breakers. (Maybe you absolutely need 3 bedrooms but if it doesn’t have a 2 car garage you can cope)
- Determine which areas you want to live in. (If you are new to an area, we recommend driving your desired areas during the day and night. Get a feel for traffic, noise and location)
- Ask your Realtor (if they didn’t already offer) to set you up on an automated home search through the local MLS. (Multiple Listing Service)
- Be Patient (Searching for your new home can be rewarding and discouraging all at the same time. Just remember you can’t find the perfect home if you don’t spend time looking and new homes hit the market every day. Be patient, the right one will come your way.)
- Be Present (If buying a home is important, make it a priority. Be ready and available to reply or respond to your Lender or Agent. Often time is of the essence and you don’t want to miss out on great opportunities)
Ultimately, this process should be fun! You’re buying a house, and that’s a huge deal. Follow these steps and we promise the process will go smoothly. If you would like more information or have any questions about the information we provided, please feel free to give us a call. We are here to help. We also have a trusted network of business professionals that can help guide you through the process.
Happy Home Buying!