Tips for Home Buying

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First-time home buyers, even seasoned ones, might often feel burdened and overwhelmed by the many steps that there are to get to home ownership. If you feel this way, you're not alone! This is definitely a natural feeling and emotion to have when making this kind of a huge financial decision. What may help is laying out a plan to assist you in putting these several steps in order, therefore making the path to homeownership more clear and less scattered. I have comprised a list of tips that will support you when beginning your home buying endeavor.

1. Budget

Make sure to get with a lender that will pre-qualify you prior to house hunting with a real estate agent. There's really no sense in going much further down the home buying road if you haven't set a budget for yourself. This can really make you feel anxious and confused if you don't know what price range you are searching in. Don't rely on your own feelings about what you think you can afford, house budgeting is a logic and numbers game, not an educated guess. The peace that comes from having a pre-qualification letter from your lender will set you on the right footing.

2. Choosing a Realtor

Do your research!  The last thing you want to do is open the white pages and pick someone at random. A great way to choose an agent is by talking with your friends and family members to ask for referrals. If you trust these people's opinions, you know that they wouldn't steer you in the wrong direction. The internet is also a good resource for your search. If you decide to find an agent off of the internet, make sure that you research all of their reviews. Just because an agent pays to have their face on many websites doesn't mean that they will do the best job for you. Yelp is a great way to screen agents...although you may have to weed out the genuine reviews from the inflated or deflated ones.

3. House Preferences

Start by making a list of priorities of specifications for your home, then clearly convey these things to your realtor. This list should include all of your must-haves, wishes and deal breakers in a home. Such as; areas, style of home, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms and the size of the home. Also, make sure to think about how you want a home to work for you for the next 5-10 years, not just the short term. You never want to be forced a move, if you think about your families long term needs, you'll be in control of your next move.

4. Give a House a Chance

When viewing homes, keep in mind that NO home is perfect and will fit your exact needs. Keeping an open mind about each home will allow you to be flexible and possibly even see a homes' hidden potential. On the flip side, it's also important not to get too emotional about a home. Sad but true, when you become emotionally invested in a particular home, it can cloud your better judgment in making the best choice. Try too look beyond the beautiful hardwood flooring and the granite countertops and look at the homes true quality and condition.