Buying a home is one of life’s most important decisions. But, there’s more to it than picking out the perfect home. Take some time to prepare yourself before you start your search. It’s important to know the stumbling blocks you may encounter during your path to homeownership. Here are some things to keep in mind before and during your search:
1. Do the math and establish your purchasing power.Before you start cruising the neighborhood for open houses, you need to know which driveways you can afford to pull into. Meet with a lender to determine which type of financing will work best for you and how much of a home you qualify for. Also, getting pre-approved can put you in a much stronger negotiating position because it shows the seller that you are a committed buyer.
2. Make a timeline. Sit down and set up your goals for the months leading up to your potential move date. Plan on getting pre-approved for a loan and looking for an agent three to four months in advance. The next two or three months will be spent looking for a house and the details of your actual move will be made in the few weeks before moving day.
3. Start surfing. One of the important tools you’ll need for your house hunt is the internet. The majority of homes on the market are listed somewhere on the internet because real estate agents know the majority of people turn to the Web first when looking for a new home. Start looking on websites like UtahHomes.com and Realtor.com. You can register for email alerts to have homes sent to you and me so I can investigate further. Send an email request to me at kristin.graziano@utahhomes.com
4.Location, location, location.It’s important to narrow your search before you start touring every house intown. Decide what neighborhoods work best for you and your family. Check out school districts, shopping and dining, public transportation, recreational areas and crime statistics.
5. List your priorities and prepare to compromise. Unless you are building a home from the ground up, there are often compromises involved in deciding on a property. Make a list of the features you are looking for in a home and rate them on scale of one to five, with five being the feature you can’t live without. Then, bring your list with you as you tour homes.
6. Just a word of caution on Short Sales. Typically short sales are a very tedious and long process and even then, there is no guarantee that the bank will comply. Some, but very few actually turn out out to be a great deal anyway. Be aware of all the processes involved in the short sale and don’t hesitate to ask me any questions before you embark down the short sale path!
Give the current buyer’s market, there may be no time like the present to purchase a home. In many markets, home prices have stabilized and in some cases even increased. So the perfect time to buy has likely come and to wait much longer could put you at risk of missing out on great deals and excellent inventory. With this checklist and the right market conditions, you are well on the road to home happiness.
Use the Contact me box at the right to submit your information. I will gladly contact you and provide you with a detail HomeBuyer Booklet and Packet that will give you everything you need to make your home purchase a smooth transaction. Additionally, I can set you up on an automated search that will find the new listings each day that match your criteria. These listings are automatically emailed to you the minute they hit the market so you can see them first.
Don’t hesitate to let me know how I can help. The Real Estate industry is amazing!
