If you’re considering purchasing your first home in the near future, this is likely one of the largest financial decisions you’ve made in your life to this point. Entering real estate for the first time is no joke, and at Rockport Properties, we know you need a real estate agent who does more than simply show you homes for sale.
We’re a full-service agency, here to assist you with every step of the process. Here are a few important elements we always advise our first-time clients to take heed of as they enter the home-buying process.
Be Organized
This is our top piece of advice as you enter the home market. Staying organized from the jump will make several steps of the process easier, from mortgage applications and pre-approval to the home search itself. Keep track of important due dates as they come up, and store all relevant documents in an easy-to-track way so you can recall important items if needed. Ask questions, both of your agent and of anyone else involved in the process – and write down the answers so you remember them.
Shop Around
There are several important parties involved in this process, from a prospective mortgage lender to a real estate lawyer. We’ll help you shop around here, and shop around you should – don’t simply take the first decent offer that comes your way. These parties have incentive to want your business, and we’ll help you leverage that incentive.
Assets and Liabilities
Enter the process with as good an idea of your total financial profile as possible. Mortgage lenders will need information like a comparison of your income to your expenses, and whether these might be changing in the near future. You also need a good idea here to understand the sort of homes you’ll be able to look for.
Credit Score
One particularly important financial element is your credit score – you should be checking this at least six months in advance of beginning a home search. Bad credit will remove many homes as options, as you simply won’t qualify for the kinds of loans you’d need. On the flip side, good credit can make you eligible for great financial assistance. Use free credit score checkers online to see if your credit score needs work in advance of entering the home market.
Want to learn more about buying your first home, or interested in our wide selection of Rockport homes? Speak to the brokers at Rockport Properties today.
Posted by Mark Uhr on
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