Buying a home can be a long and complicated process. It can feel overwhelming to think about taking on this responsibility, especially if you don’t have prior experience shopping for a home. Thankfully this isn’t a task that you must do without help. You have plenty of tools at your disposal as well as agents such as Javier Tello standing by who can help you through the most difficult steps. Start preparing to shop for a home by reading through the expert home-buying guide below.
1. Understand how long it will take
Shopping for a new home isn’t something that you can usually do overnight. It takes serious time and energy to complete a purchase. You’ll need a few weeks to get your finances in order and secure a pre-approval letter from a lender (which the following section will discuss in greater detail). Once you have the financial paperwork you’ll need to make an offer, you’ll spend the next few weeks looking at different properties and thinking about what you want in a home. There’s a chance that your first offer isn’t accepted if you’re shopping for homes in an especially competitive market. Once you have a deal with a seller to buy their home, you’ll need four to six weeks to get ready for closing. This is when tasks such as the home inspection and appraisal will happen. Altogether, it will probably take you between two to four months from start to finish to close on a new home. The process can take some time, but the end result makes the worth well worth it for most homebuyers.
2. Talk with multiple lenders
Once you make your first contact with a lender, they will want to get a good understanding of your current level of financial health. They will ask questions about your current debt-to-income ratio and your overall credit score to determine what type of candidate you are to receive a home loan. They will use all of this information to discern how much they can lend you and what sort of interest rate they should offer with their loan. Keep in mind that different lenders will offer different interest rates, and there is nothing wrong with talking to multiple lenders to see who can give you the best deal. They use the national interest rate as a frame of reference, but they also have the freedom to determine their own amount for each loan they offer.
3. Determine what type of home you want
Perhaps you have an interest in different architectural styles, and you want to search for homes that match these themes and patterns. Maybe you’re simply concerned with what rooms and amenities your home has. Either way, this is the fun part of the home search for most potential buyers. It’s important to determine what type of home you can afford to buy, but it’s also crucial to think about what you’re hoping to find in your next home. Take some time to look at online home listings and get a feel for what sort of features the homes in your price range most often promote or offer. Once you have a good understanding of what you’re looking for, you can communicate your preferences with your realtor, and they will recommend homes that match your needs and wishes.
4. Prepare to make a competitive offer
In a competitive market, homes often sell quickly and for a price above asking. As you get ready to buy a home, you’ll need to have a basic understanding of current market trends and happenings. If motivated buyers are quickly snatching up homes, you probably won’t have much negotiating power when you’re discussing a deal. If you notice that homes are spending several weeks or months on the market without receiving much interest, perhaps you could come in with an initial offer below the asking price or with certain contingencies that are more favorable for you as the buyer. Your realtor will advise you on how to best proceed in these types of situations. In any case, you should expect to hear a counteroffer if your initial offer is well below your seller’s listed asking price. Many transactions come to a point where sellers and buyers are trading offers back and forth with each other.
5. Get ready for closing
Once you agree to a deal with a seller to buy their home, you’ll spend the next several weeks getting ready for closing. There are a few important things that will happen during this time. Home inspection is one of the most crucial steps that usually takes place before purchasing a home. You aren’t required to order an inspection before purchasing a home, but it’s certainly risky to skip the inspection. Your inspector will thoroughly look over your home to determine if there are any structural or foundational concerns that you should know about before you purchase the home. Many home contracts include an option period or an inspection contingency that allows you to walk away from the deal without penalty in the event that the inspection reveals significant issues with the home. You’ll also schedule a time for an appraiser to come and look at the home. They must ensure that the home is selling for a fair market price in order for the lender to issue the funds that they need to buy the home. Additionally, both the buyer and the seller will work with a title company before closing to facilitate the legal transfer of ownership of the home.
6. Work with a great realtor
Javier Tello specializes in luxury Bridgeland real estate. He takes great pride in assisting his clients throughout the entire process, from the initial contact until closing day. He helps clients throughout the greater Houston area, and he regularly receives business from referrals and repeat clients because of the high levels of value and service that he provides. Reach out to Javier when you need help buying or selling a home in Bridgeland or the surrounding cities.