1st Time Home Buyers
Looking to Buy Your First Home? Not Sure Where to Start?
Let This Page and I Be Your Guide!
Buying a home will be one of the largest investments that you will ever make, but it shouldn't be stressful. You should enjoy the experience of looking at homes, negotiating a fair price, visualizing your furniture in the home, and finally taking ownership of the home with keys in hand.
The first question 1st time homebuyers always ask is: "How much can I afford?" The best way to answer this queston is to Get Pre-qualified. This will allow you to know what price range to search within and also let you know if there are any areas in your credit that you could repair so that you could possibly lower your interest rate. This will also make you a "Better Buyer" and help your case in the negotation procress.
Here is a checklist that gives Tips for a Smooth Loan Approval
A lender will also be able to explain to you the different loan programs that are out there and how each will affect your down payment from 100% no money down USDA loan to a 20% down conventional loan. Here is a link to our Mortgage Center. It provides videos and other information detailing loans and can be very useful in answering some of your questions.
The second step is to figure out what is MOST important to you in terms of finding a home. Is it:
Price - lowest mortgage possible
Square Footage- Most bang for your buck
Location- Short to commute to Work, Schools, Activities
Style- two story, ranch, condo, townhome
Here is a list of questions to ask yourself when trying to find your first home
The third step is to contact a Realtor and set up a meeting. The meeting is important it will allow you to get to know one another and see if you can establish a trustworthy working relationship. A buyers agent will work hand in hand with you throughout the process and will be negotiating for you on your behalf. It is important to feel comfortable with your agent so that they can truely best serve your needs and interests. Having that checklist detailing your ideal home will better assist the agent in finding out which homes best match your criteria and set up showings for you to see the homes.
