5 Straight-Forward Steps for First Time Home Buyers

Buying your first home can seem really scary and overwhelming. I'm here to break it down for you into FIVE BASIC steps to make it seem a little less overwhelming...

Step 1: Speak to a lender.

If you don't know where to find a lender, ask your local agent or someone you trust that has been through the process. There are mortgage lenders EVERYWHERE. And just because you speak to one, it doesn't necessarily mean they are the one you have to end up purchasing your home with. Speaking to a lender is free and they are the beginning of this process! What they will do is take a look into your finances, and see if you are ready to get pre-approved, and they will give you a specific price of home you can afford. OR they will tell you what you need to do or need to work on, to get pre-approved. This could mean working on your credit, paying off a certain credit card or vehicle, maybe just making a few more on time payments, or maybe waiting until tax season to get one more tax record... Either way, this will give you a timeline.

Step 2: Choose an agent. (If you're in the North GA area, call me :) ) And create a relationship.

This is very important. Having a real relationship with your agent is CRUCIAL. They need to understand your situation, understand your needs, be responsive, and really get along with you to get you through the transaction smoothly.

Step 3: Decide on the specifics.

Decide what location you want to be in, what exactly you want in your home, and what would be nice add on in your home! This may be you really want at least an acre, but you'll settle for .75 acres if it's fenced in and private. Or maybe 4 beds would be really nice, but having 3 in the perfect home would be okay too. Make sure to communicate this with your agent. They need to know what are needs and what are wants.

Step 4: Start the search!

Your agent should be on top of the home search for you. They should be using every avenue available. Once you find the perfect (or almost perfect) home, make that offer.

Your offer should be something you are comfortable with, but in today's market, stepping outside your comfort zone to win the home may be necessary.

Step 5: Sit back and let your agent take care of everything!

They will write the offer and negotiate.

They should take care of all of the communication between the sellers/listing agent.

They should help you coordinate inspections and what kind of repairs (if any) you want to ask for.

And they will communicate with your lender to get you to the closing table!

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That's it! Easy enough, right? When you break it down into steps, purchasing your first home seems much more achievable. And it is! Interest rates are still extremely low, and it's a great time to buy. If you have any questions at all about the process or where to get started, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!