In so many cases, people ready to buy a home seem to go about it in the wrong way. They seem to get mixed up and put things in the wrong order. So if your thinking about buying a home, here are five things you should do before stepping foot into a house that is "For Sale".
1. Get pre-qualified for the loan amount. This is so important for so many reasons. First of all, why go look at homes that you can't afford? Do not waste time doing that. You will need to have a pre-qualification letter with any offer you make. So find out up front what you can afford and strategically look at houses in that given price range.
2. Consider different loan programs. When talking to your mortgage professional, discuss your financial goals. A loan professional can give you pluses and minuses and let you compare a 30-year loan, a 15-year and an adjustable rate loan.
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3. Find a strong buyer's agent. You agent should be able to listen to your wants and needs and present a list of homes for you to consider. Your searh criteria may be homes in Dacula, under $350,000, with at least five bedrooms, a finished basement and a three-car garage. You should then have a list of home to choose from that fit that criteria. Your agent should also be dialed in to the community and know other agents to network with, finding possible deals before they go on the market.
4. What about resale? That's right, one day you will want to sell the home, so consider things that other buyers may like and more importantly what they will not like. Homes next to retention ponds and busy highways or with steep driveways are always a tough sell. If the price seems too good to be true, ask yourself why it hasn't sold yet, and would some of the features make it hard to sell years from now.
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5. Don't look at too many homes at once. If you look at more than five or six homes, you may become confused over which house has which feature. If you keep it to five or six you can eliminate the ones you don't like and maybe keep your top two in mind. If you go look again another time, include your two favorite and add four more. Once you've seen that many homes, you should be ready to make an offer. Good luck and good buying!