Six No-Skip Steps To Buying A Home

There are Six major steps you will take when you buy a home and each one is as important in its own way as the last.

Make your wish list -- Decide where you want to live and how many bedrooms and baths you'll need. Consider lifestyle -- condominiums offer shared amenities, with little responsibility. Single-family homes offer more space and privacy, but they also require more exterior and yard maintenance. Consider buying a fixer-upper for a reduced cost so you can remodel it to suit your needs.

Get pre-approved -- You can prequalify yourself on the internet, but it takes a lender looking at your personal financial information to get prequalified. Your income, credit scores, revolving debts, obligations such as child support as well as the type of loan you choose will influence how much home you can buy. Other factors such as the down payment, interest rate and terms (30-year fixed or an adjustable rate) will determine what you can afford in monthly payments.

Hire a real estate professional -- Armed with a sensible price range, you're ready to hire a real estate expert to help you find the right home. Hiring a Buyer Agent costs you nothing and is critical to protecting you throughout the process. Do your research. Don't just take the listing agent and have them write an offer. It does not get you a better deal and it reduces the level of protection you get. The Listing Agent has an agreement with the seller and owes them a fiduciary. They owe the buyer honest dealings. Check out some sites like Zillow or Yelp. Find a professional who has some good reviews, then interview. Finding the home is actually the easy part. Closing takes skill and experience.

*If you are in the Orange, LA, or Riverside counties, One Realty Group would be more than happy to assist you in the buying process. For those who are not local, we can also help connect you to an agent in your area.

Select your home -- No home is perfect, so don't let minor flaws influence you. Think long-term and think safety. Which available home best suits the needs of your household now and in the years ahead? Consider the amount of space, the floorplan, privacy, entertaining options and potential upkeep. Don't buy more than you need or can comfortably afford.

Be Ready to Move Quickly – In a seller’s market, homes sell quickly and, in particularly competitive neighborhoods, homes can sell within the first few days of being listed. If you see a home you would seriously consider buying, talk with your realtor about making an offer. Don’t dwell and think about a house only to find out someone beat you to the punch.

Make an offer -- Your offer should reflect current market conditions. If a home has been on the market a long time, you can ask the seller for a price reduction, but if it's new on the market, the seller is unlikely to comply. While everyone wants a deal, it takes some buyers losing the home of their dreams before they get realistic with offers. Sellers are more likely to respond to how much you love the home, than all the reasons why you don't think it's worth the asking price. Ask your real estate professional for advice on how to negotiate.

Originally posted July 1, 2015 @ www.qualifiedpreownedhome.com