Carefully craft your wish list and try to stick to it. If you are shopping with your partner, discuss your must-haves and deal breakers together so you’ll be on the same page during your house hunt. Drive around and take notes.

Remember you are not only buying a house, but the neighborhood too. Is it safe? Talk to neighbors and ask questions. Spend time in the area to determine if it offers the lifestyle conveniences you’ll need.

Don’t see too many houses in one day. You may begin to feel overwhelmed and confused after touring several homes. Too many homes in a short period of time will run together in your mind and you won’t recall which kitchen or which master bedroom belonged to which house.

Stay within your price range and consider added expenses such as taxes, home owner’s association fees, maintenance etc. When walking through houses try to envision the home with your belongings and remember that paint is an easy change!

Buy a Home Within a Year

If you are planning to purchase within the year then your priority right now should be to clean up your credit. Pull those reports, see if there is anything that may make the process difficult. Any past dues? Any lates? Judgements? Call the creditors and work out a deal. The key to getting a good mortgage rate is credit worthiness. (A mortgage lender can walk you through this process)

Make sure you have filed your taxes. Mortgage companies will need your last 2 and sometimes 3 years of tax returns so pull that together.

SAVE SAVE SAVE! Also, it may be worthwhile to sit with a mortgage professional now and try to get preapproved. This way you’ll know in advance what your purchasing power is. And if you can’t get preapproved, at least you’ll know why, and you can begin to start cleaning your profile up. The sooner you do this the sooner you can buy. 

Buy with US!

Choose from one of our 35 agents to help you find your dream home. With our knowledge and experience we can help you through this process with ease. Click on our agent tab to find your agent or call our office and be directed to our agent on duty.