Did you know that it’s often times easier to buy a home than rent one? With low interest rates and an abundance of inventory, there has never been a better time to become a homeowner! Read our tips to get started on your home buying journey:

Prepare Your Finances

Are you financially prepared to own a home? Look over all your finances and ensure you have enough money for an upcoming real estate transaction. Think a significant down payment, cash for closing costs, etc. Many times, loan programs can assist with these costs.

Find a Realtor

Don’t go through this alone! Make sure you’ve found a real estate professional to assist you in your home buying experience. They should be a certified REALTOR professional.

Get Pre-Approval on a Loan

Often called a comfort letter, a pre-approval letter is a document prepared by a lender that states how much you can afford and what loan programs you qualify for; this is an important step to complete before you even begin looking at property!

Tour Homes

Before you meet with your Realtor, think about the kind of details you want in your home: consider pricing, location, size, layout and extras. Drive around and explore communities you may not be familiar with. Always keep an open mind!

Select Your Home

When you find the one, you’ll know it! Review any notes you made while touring properties and compare to narrow down the choices. Your Realtor can help you when deciding which home is the right fit for you and your family.

Secure Funding

You have the pre-approval letter, but now it’s time to actually secure your funding. Shop around with different mortgage brokers, banks, credit union and insurance companies to find the financing that’s right for you! The mortgage you choose will be based on things like your credit score, income and down payment amount.

Make Your Offer

Here goes nothing! An offer is more than the price you are willing to pay. It also includes terms and timeline of the agreement. A seller can either accept, reject or make a counter-offer.

Find Insurance

You’re going to need an array of insurance when you purchase your home. Start thinking about homeowner’s insurance, title insurance, flood insurance and a home warranty. Ask your Realtor which of these are required for your home.

Close on the Property

Time to make this official! The closing is the date when you formally meet to finalize the transaction. This means your closing attorney will have reviewed and prepared any necessary closing documents for you to sign, then it’s official! You will be given the keys and the seller has been paid for the purchase.

Tie Up Loose Ends

Now that you have the keys, it’s time to tie up any loose ends. Transfer utilities into your name, check out the neighborhood and enjoy that new home!

Stop by our office, open seven days a week, to learn more about the real estate process

Take a look at some of our current listings for sale:

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