I understand that buying a home is one of the greatest financial and emotional investments you will make. I get asked all of the time “how” to get started to purchase a home, especially first time homeowners. Here is my quick guide to get started:
- Contact a Mortgage Lender and ask about getting pre-approved for a loan. See if you qualify based on your income, credit score and Debt To Income ratio (DTI). There are many programs available and you might be surprised that you do, or do not qualify for a price range you hoped for. If you would like help picking a Lender, I have several preferred Lenders that I can suggest. Every lender may offer different loan programs, discounts, or fees. Having a valued Real Estate Agent help to suggest a trusted lender, could save you thousands of dollars in the long run. Call me if you have questions!
- Once you are pre-approved for a Mortgage Loan, contact me immediately. We will want to discuss your desires including price point, location, specifics of the property/home you are looking for (bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet, style, age, etc.).
- Get set up on a Property Search. I will set you up on Property Tracker®, a property search that is SPECIFIC to your desires/needs. I custom modify the search for your specific criteria, which will then provide you listings that meet your desires in the areas you chose. The other reason this is important is that you will get immediate alerts to new properties hitting the market that fit your search criteria, before you may find them on a random real estate web-site or search platform. This keeps you ahead of other buyers by knowing about new properties as they get listed.
Other things to do:
Get our Buyer's Guide
Your first step is to gain an understanding of some of the important strategies needed for finding your ideal home. Start by downloading the John L. Scott® Buyer's Guide.
Key concepts include: Understanding Location, the Backlog of Buyers (your competition) and being Buyer Ready, Day One.
\ Download
You can sign up for Property Tracker® ahead of time and we can modify as we go.
Receive Instant Notifications for New Listings
Get new listings delivered to you as soon as they hit the market with Property Tracker®. Receive notifications for newly listed properties and status changes. Save Searches, rate your favorites, and keep notes!
Download the John L. Scott® GPS Home Search App
Search fast, save favorites, and inquire about any listing on the market directly through the app. No more driving around pulling flyers to find out if a listing is actively on the market, pending, or sold.
When you are ready, let me guide you through the home buying process.
Steve
