Buying a house can be both an exciting and emotional process. At the same time, it’s likely the biggest purchase you’ll ever make.
Hence, you’ll want to understand the ins and outs of home buying before starting. This will help you to be financially prepared for homeownership before you start.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to walk you through the ins and outs of buying a house:
Understand why you want to buy a house
Purchasing a home is a major decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. First, define your personal and financial goals to be clear on why you want to buy a house.
Start Your Research Early
As soon as you are sure it’s the best decision for you, start reading websites, newspapers, and magazines that have real estate listings. Make a note of particular homes you are interested in and see how long they stay on the market. Also, note any changes in asking prices. This will give you a sense of the housing trends in specific areas.
Create a housing budget
Setting a realistic budget for your new home will help inform what you can afford and how much your all-in costs will be. Look at your current debts and income and consider how much money you can reasonably afford to spend each month on a mortgage.
Find a real estate agent
An experienced real estate agent can save you time and money by helping you find your dream home and by negotiating with the seller on your behalf.
Schedule the inspection
A home inspection will help you determine how to proceed with the closing process.
Usually, the inspection is scheduled within a weekend. It’s recommended that you attend the inspection, as it’s the best to ensure the home you’re buying doesn’t have any major underlying issues.
Appraisal
Your lender will hire the appraiser, so there’s not much for you to do here. Your real estate agent should work with the seller’s agent and the appraiser to schedule the appraisal. After the appraisal is complete, you and your agent will receive copies of the appraisal report, so you can see the appraised fair market value and check out the comps that were used in the calculations.
Close on your new home
Congratulations! it’s time to make it official and close on your home. During closing, the property title will pass from the seller to you. A closing agent will oversee this process, which typically takes place at a title company, management firm, escrow office or your home.