10 Steps In Buying a Home
Buying a house requires a lot of time and effort, but these 10 steps can help make the home buying process manageable and help you make the best decisions possible.
1. Are you Ready to Become a Homeowner?
Whether you’re becoming a homeowner for the first time or you’re a repeat buyer, buying a house is a financial and emotional decision that requires the experience and support of a team of reliable professionals like the Neighborhood experts at Platinum Real Estate
2. Find an agent
In the maze of forms, financing, inspections, marketing, pricing, and negotiating, it makes sense to work with professionals who know the community and much more. Those professionals are the neighborhood experts. Contact a neighborhood expert today.
3. Get a Mortgage Pre-approval
Most buyers need to finance their home purchase, and a consultation with a mortgage lender is a crucial step in the process. Find out how much you can afford before you begin your home search by using our mortgage calculator. Next get connected with our mortgage specialist at Cross-Country Mortgage to get pre-approved.
4. Look at Homes
A quick search on our site will bring up thousands of homes for sale. Educating yourself on your local market and working with an experienced neighborhood expert can help you narrow your priorities and make an informed decision about which home to choose.
5. Choose a Home
While no one can know for sure what will happen to housing values, if you choose to buy a home that meets your needs and priorities, you’ll be happy living in it for years to come.
6. Get Funding
The cost of financing your home purchase is usually greater than the price of the home itself (after interest, closing costs, and taxes are added). Get as much information as possible regarding your mortgage options and other costs. Our Mortgage expert will assist you with this decision
7. Make an Offer
While much attention is paid to the asking price of a home, a proposal to buy includes both the price and terms. In some cases, terms can represent thousands of dollars in additional value—or additional costs—for buyers. Your neighborhood expert will be your advocate in negotiations and help you reach the terms that are best for your situation.
8. Get Insurance
No sensible car owner would drive without insurance, so it figures that no homeowner should be without insurance, either. Real estate insurance protects owners in the event of catastrophe. If something goes wrong, insurance can be the bargain of a lifetime. Your neighborhood expert can help you find a reputable insurance agent and plan to protect your investment.
9. Closing
The closing process, which in different parts of the country is also known as “settlement” or “escrow,” is increasingly computerized and automated. In practice, closings bring together a variety of parties who are part of the real estate transaction. Your neighborhood expert will keep you informed and educated during the closing process so you always know what to expect.
10. What’s Next?
You’ve done it. You’ve looked at properties, made an offer, obtained financing, and gone to closing. The home is yours but our work isn’t done! Your neighborhood expert will happily assist you with resources to help you get moving, your utilities changed and details of getting settled into your new home.
Let Our Neighborhood Experts Help You Take The First Step
If you’re looking for real estate in this area, we can help you beat other home buyers to the hottest new homes for sale on the market. Just fill out the form below and we’ll get back to you personally with your best matches.
You can also set yourself up on a search by using our cutting-edge home search. When you’ve put in the criteria for your home search, you can press “save search” so that you will be alerted as new properties hit the market matching your criteria!