First Time Home Buying
If you are thinking about buying a home, there are some things you need to think about:
1. Unless you have oodles amounts of cash lying around, your CREDIT needs to be in order. A few months before you start home searching, get a copy of your credit report and make sure that you score is acceptable (There are companies that designate their services to help improve your credit score. Make sure you do research on the company to make sure they are legitimate). Double check that the credit report does not have any falsified documentation.
1. Unless you have oodles amounts of cash lying around, your CREDIT needs to be in order. A few months before you start home searching, get a copy of your credit report and make sure that you score is acceptable (There are companies that designate their services to help improve your credit score. Make sure you do research on the company to make sure they are legitimate). Double check that the credit report does not have any falsified documentation.
2. Get pre-approved. This will let you know what price range you can look at so that you are not viewing homes that are out of your league and wasting not only your time, but the home owners and Realtors. Once you know this information, you can write out your WANTS/NEEDS in a home... things you must have and things you could do with out.
3. Use a Realtor. You may think that HGTV and your friends' brothers' cousin who just signed a lease on a refrigerator from Home Depot may have all the answers to your Real Estate questions… more then likely you are incorrect. I know, the term "you need help" is not always positive, but in this case an Agent can be a GREAT benefit in your efforts for a home search.
RECAP
- Your credit score is a MAJOR factor in applying for a mortgage. If you think you have bad credit, CHECK NOW. don't wait until the last minute. Even if you aren't buying a home it needs to be in good standing.
- Getting pre-approved is the next stepping stone in home searching. Once you know your price range, you can narrow down the type of home you are looking for.
- Choosing the right Realtor is a big deal. You don't want somebody to just show you around, you need to find somebody to build a relationship of trust with.