The prospect of buying a home fills most people with a giddy excitement. After all, this is a major purchase that will catapult you into adulthood. Of course, the thought of going into debt with this big-ticket item can also be a bit frightening, which is why you may want to take the steps necessary to prepare yourself before you actually start looking at homes on the market. What this entails, for the most part, is figuring out how to ensure that you spend your money wisely and find a home that is going to suit your needs for the foreseeable future. So here are just a few key strategies you’ll probably want to observe when you embark upon your mission to buy a home.
Make a list of must-haves. Before you set foot in any homes, you need to take the time to make a list of what you need to make a home livable, what you want, and what you don’t want in a property. Then you need to prioritize because chances are you’re not going to find a home that meets every requirement on your list. For example, you may be looking for a large yard, ample square footage, and a specific number of bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as amenities like a highly-ranked school district and proximity to your work. And it probably needs to fit in a price range. However, your priorities may be enough bedrooms for every family member and the top school district within a given geographic region. It’s important to understand the difference between what you want versus what you can’t live without.
Get pre-approved. Before you even think of making a major purchase that will require a loan, it’s a good idea to clean up your credit. After all, the top tier of credit ratings will nab you the most favorable terms for loans, including the lowest interest rates. So take the time to order a free credit report (from a site like AnnualCreditReport.com) so that you can spot problems, clean up black marks, and raise your score before you buy a home. As for getting pre-approved, this is something you should definitely do before you start house hunting since it will tell you how much money you have to play with.
Take measurements. You probably have furniture already, and if you don’t want to bear the expense of purchasing new furnishings for your home, you should jot down measurements for sofas, beds, dining tables, and other large pieces to make sure they’ll fit in your new digs. It might not be a deal-breaker, but it’s best to know ahead of time whether your furniture will fit in your new home.
Find a trustworthy realtor. You can certainly go it alone when it comes to finding a house, but a realtor is well-equipped to help you locate the home of your dreams in a price range you can afford. And it’s really in your best interest to have some professional help with making an offer and closing the deal, especially if this is your first home-buying experience. What you don’t know can definitely cost you.
DIY house hunting. Even if you’ve already hired an agent from Breckenridge real estate group to help you find and buy a house, there are so many MLS tools available that there’s no reason you can’t do a little virtual house hunting on your own to narrow the search. This could end up saving you some time and money when you’re buying a home.
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