8 Important Steps for First-Time Home Buyers
Updated: Apr 20
Are you ready to buy a home? You’ve started your down payment savings and virtually shopped around to help get an idea of what you want.
Any purchase of this magnitude can be stressful, but with a bit of help, you can attain homeownership with the least amount of static as possible.
It’s an exciting time in your life, and you want to keep it that way by knowing what to expect.
Here are 8 simple steps to buying a home!
Make a Choice and Make an Offer
Critical Hires for Due Diligence
Final Loan Processing and Underwriting
Close and Turn the Key
Plan for a Home and Your Budget
Before purchasing a home, you must plan and budget for your life with this new major purchase.
When you own a home, everything falls on you. Now, I'm sure you're used to paying your own utilities, so this may not shock your finances.
But.......These are not the only expenses homeowners have to think about.
In addition to your mortgage, which usually includes your property taxes and home insurance, you may have to add additional insurances to keep your property safe.
For example, some homeowners have to add flood insurance and/or mortgage insurance to qualify for a home loan, depending on the area they live in and the type of loan they have.
Other things, like landscape maintenance and repairs, all fall on the homebuyer.
If you're in a neighborhood with an HOA, failure to maintain your property will annoy them, and they will annoy you.
So, when budgeting for your home, consider all the additional expenses you're responsible for each month.
Create a monthly budget to determine what you're willing to spend each month on your new home.
This is called passive home-buying, and it helps.
Search for a Lender
Someone once said that all good things come in threes. That's the case when looking for lending for your new home.
Always check with at least 3 lenders before you choose. You might think, "I don't want 3 hard inquiries on my credit."
And you're right; you don't.
But the great thing about checking with three lenders back to back is that the credit bureaus will count this as one inquiry.
The credit bureaus realize that you are shopping around, and they consider this, so your credit is safe.
But why so many?
You want the best rate you can get, and this may not be with the first lender or the second. Never sell yourself short by going with the first lender that says "yes."
You also have to realize that not all lenders offer the same products. There are so many programs and products for first-time homebuyers.
To make sure you have the best offers compare lenders.
Attain a Pre-Approval Letter
You'll love yourself for this move, and your realtor will love you too.
Attaining a pre-approval letter or a pre-qualified letter from your lender lets you know what you can afford.
You want to have this letter before you go shopping for homes. If not, you'll be disappointed when finding a home you love, only to learn you can't afford it.
Also, if you have a realtor and you find a home, you'll need this letter when you put in an offer for the home. Sellers won't accept your offer without it.
I have made this mistake before, which annoys my awesome realtor, and I also annoy myself because I ended up not being able to make an offer.