What First Time Home Buyers Need to know

First Time Buyers, learn how to avoid costly mistakes.

The hard way always seems to be the better way. I have been told there are two ways to do things in life, "The hard way and the easy way." I think most want to do things the hard way. When it comes to buying a house for the first time, there is process to follow so your buying experience is not done the hard way. The easy way may not seem the best way in the eyes of a buyer, but I assure you it's the correct process. I have seen more problems with mortgage loans following apart because someone led the cart before the horse. Here is the easy way to buy a home.

Get approved first

The first step in the home buying process is to get your finances in order first. Get your credit reports pulled and your income verified to see where you stand. If you don't do this first I guarantee that you will have problems. Most want to go and look at homes first and then apply for a mortgage. This is why all the nightmares you hear about happen in the lending industry.

Meet with reputable lender

After you have been approved for a mortgage meet with the lender to review what type of loan they have approved you for. You need to understand the loan and your estimated payments with your credit. It is important that you understand all aspects of your loan and monthly payments. Mortgage payment can be an issue as well, because you thought you payment might be lower. Some of the on-line calculators don't estimate your entire payment, which causes confusion in lending. The calculators on-line usually estimate your principal and interest payment only, which does not include your taxes, MIP, and homes owners insurance with the payment. So make sure your review all of this with a reputable lender.

Meet with a seasoned realtor

After you have met with a lender and have been approved, the next step is to get a realtor to find homes in your price range. I would recommend that you find a full-time realtor, not one that is part time. The reason is if there is a problem during the day, you will have issues getting a hold of this realtor because they are at work. There are a lot of part-time realtors out there, and as far as I am concerned should not be allowed to have their license. Real Estate is a fulltime career and requires someone that has experience. If you are working with a realtor that does not have experience you could have issues as well.

If this process is followed and the people you are working with are experienced, then your home buying process should be a good one. Buying a home is a big step in life and needs to be handled by experienced real estate professionals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR