BUYER RESOURCES:
Steps to Follow When Purchasing a Home
Hire a real estate professional.
The first step is to select a professional to help you find your dream home and fine-tune your financial expectations. A Realtor should guide you through your buying process by helping you identify your buying power and using his or her professional resources to find the right property for you.
Prequalify for a loan.
Contact your local lending institution to become prequalified, which determines how much you can afford. Prequalification shows the seller that you are serious about potentially buyer his/her property.
Define what you want and visit properties.
The next step is to create a realistic idea of the property you'd like to buy. What features are most important to you? Make a list and edit it as needed as you house hunt.
Make an offer and arrange a home inspection.
Once you've pinpointed your dream house, it's time to get serious about the financial and contractual side of the purchase. Your agent will be a strong advantage since you and the seller have different goals. After your offer is accepted, set up a home inspection. It's common to find problems with previously owned homes. Your Realtor can help find a trusted inspector and negotiate any repairs needed as part of the purchase.
Close.
Your Realtor will help your closing day go smoothly by helping you to complete the paperwork needed to close. This can include the mortgage, title, insurance and other paperwork required by the lender and/or local and state governments.
