Choosing a real Estate Agent you can work with, an agent that will work for you dedicated to providing you great service and staying with you during and after the sale.

One of the most important steps you can take. Locating a good lender, someone you feel completely comfortable with, not a new lender, get an established lender that will return your calls and is professional. Take your time, you are looking to be pre-qualified and then pre-approved. Give the lender all you information, do not hide anything; it bites you back when you are making your purchase. They will have questions to determine debt to income ratios to show you what is in your price range and payment range you feel comfortable with. Find out all the costs involved from your lender and real estate agent, estimate of closing costs Title insurance, escrow and bank fees, all costs involved so no surprises at the last minute.

Once you establish a relationship with your realtor, be loyal to them, they will be doing many things that you do not realize. They will be helping to eliminate the homes you would not be happy in, once you locate the home, have your agent do a market analysis to see what comparable properties have sold for.

Make a list of all the questions you may need about your home or area to feel comfortable, such as environmental conditions, schools, power lines, crime rate, neighborhood, parking, CC&R’s of the subdivision, power, water source, gas available, sewer or septic. And any others you may think of.

Once you find a home and have made an acceptable offer, be sure to have a home inspection, by not having a home inspection up front it could cost you later and this is on new or older homes.