5 Stops on Your Home-Buying Journey

Purchasing a home is often one of the largest financial decisions one can make in their lifetime. Understanding the process of buying a home prior to starting your search can greatly help reduce the uncertainty and anxiety throughout the process.

Meet with a Lender

One of the first steps you want to take is to meet with a lender if you plan to use financing. While many buyers may feel that this is jumping the gun prior to going to see a property, in reality you want to make sure that you are looking at houses in a price range that you will ultimately qualify for a mortgage. In addition, once you are ready to put in an offer you will need a pre-approval letter to submit along with it. Having this step behind you takes away the stress of having to get it done after identifying a property.

Start Browsing

Once you’ve met with a lender and have a good sense of the price range you should be looking in, you can start taking a look at various real estate websites. Many major sites have most of of the available listings out there, making them a great place to start your search. Looking online will give you a strong sense of what you will be able to get for your money and may also give you an idea of some of the amenities or features you would like in your new home that you may not have thought of before.

Get Out There and See Some Properties!

Most Realtors will host open houses on Sunday at specific times, giving you a great way to start viewing properties. An open house offers you flexible times to view, and you can usually see multiple properties in a short period of time on the same day. In addition, open houses offer a laid back environment to take your time and view the home.

Meet with a few Realtors

Once you have seen a few properties and feel a bit more comfortable with getting serious about making an offer, it may be time to start interviewing some agents to assist with the negotiations and contract. You can speak with friends, family and neighbors to see if they have any recommendations. You should pick an agent who not only listens to your needs but also is knowledgeable about the local market. An experienced agent will also have access to listings not yet on the market. Not only will the realtor be able to help you with the contract negotiation, but they can also guide you through the home inspection process, appraisal process and settlement.

Get Focused.

Once you are comfortable with an agent, it is time to get serious. Your agent should have you set up with daily automatic emails to send you all new listings or changes to listing prices for you to review each morning. When a property comes on the market that you are considering, you should contact your agent right away to set up an appointment as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the open house to go view it; a well-priced property will often move long before the open house is held.
By following these steps, you’ll feel comfortable in the marketplace and, when the right home comes along, you’ll be ready to pull the trigger!
Check out our article on: 5 Tips for Buying a Home