Quick Five-Step Process for Finding Your New Home
Are you in the market for a new home? It’s a great time to go through this process because the competition will be low and you’ll get to enjoy a new place for almost the whole year ahead. If you’re preparing for a move later in the year, this guide will be a great resource to understand an overview of the process works. It’s going to take time and effort, but with the right agent it can be a smooth process for you. Take a look at this quick five-step guide to finding your new home.
1) Do your research
While research may not sound appealing, this is one of the fun parts of buying a new home. It’s the stage where you get to start dreaming about possibilities, about the things that you want as a family, and about what life could look like in different neighborhoods. Start researching available properties through real estate listings, what parts of town you could see yourself in, and what neighborhoods would suit your lifestyle.
2) Look at the budget
Now that you’ve dreamt of a list of needs, wants, and desires, it’s time to start looking realistically at what you can afford to own. On top of your monthly mortgage, you’ll have to pay for your closing costs, property taxes, home association fees, and more.
Take a look at your budget to see how much of a home you could afford while avoiding going more than 3-5x your annual household income on a home. You’ll likely need a percentage down too, with the down payment going up to 20% of the home’s amount. Try to start paying off debts and increase your savings to improve your credit score and have money to put down.
3) Finding the real estate agent for you
Next, you’ll be ready to find a great real estate agent to work with you during the process. You’ll want to find someone that understands your family, understands your needs, and works hard to go above and beyond for you during the entire process. That’s why the professionals at Elitereferral.com are so helpful; they truly pair the professionals with the right home buyers and sellers.
You don’t have to wonder if this agent your friend worked with will work well for you or if your online search for a local agent will lead you to the right person. Elitereferral.com matches people with the right agents from the start. Use this agent to help you find the right properties for your budget and lifestyle, help you to make an offer, and help to negotiate on your behalf before closing on a home.
4) Work with a Lender
Now that you’ve secure your agent, your budget, and your wish list, you can now work with a lender to get pre-approved for a loan. When it’s time to shop for a property and make an offer, you’ll have a leg up on any other buyers that make an offer since you can prove that you’ve already received a pre-approval. You’ll need to show your financial information to the mortgage lender with your savings, investments, debts, and credit score. You’ll now have a better idea of what you can afford in a home too.
5) Shop and Close
Lastly, you can begin shopping for the right home, making offers, negotiating, and closing on a home. Shop for homes in your price range in the neighborhoods that make sense for your needs. Your agent will be able to guide you to the right homes, set up a showing, and help you to put an offer in. Once you’ve received an accepted offer, you can settle on your moving date and enjoy your new home.
While understanding the process of home buying is important, the most important thing you’ll do is hire the right agent to help you through. Use this guide to understand better how finding your new home will work this year for your family.