BUYING YOUR FIRST HOME

Buying your 1st home is usually a very overwhelming experience. The key to having a successful go at it is to surround yourself with the correct professionals who have done this Time and time again.  These are just some quick tips to get the home-buying process started.

The absolute 1st thing to do, even before going on websites to look at houses, is to know the exact reason you're moving. Are you looking for better schools for your kids? Do you need to find a home closer to your workplace? Is it time to get out of the vicious financial circle of renting?

The 2nd most important thing you need to do is to get pre-qualified with a local mortgage loan expert.

Many people who are starting their mortgage search for the 1st time, mistakenly believe that their local bank will have all the solutions. The truth is, that I always recommend speaking directly to a mortgage broker or a direct lender. These tend to have better terms and more flexibility with the programs available to home buyers.

An expert loan officer will be able to tell you, within a degree of error, how much of a home you qualify for and estimate the payment including the mortgage, the mortgage, taxes, and insurance.  Knowing what your mortgage payment is going to be vital to understanding your home's affordability.

Knowing what your payment is made the home-buying process more realistic.

That way, you know exactly what you're getting. I always say that Numbers like $520,000 or 6.875% Are not real numbers. The real number is $2503.44. That is a concept you can easily grasp in terms of real life. Those $2503.44 will help you decide if you can buy an extra steak for dinner or go to Sea World this weekend.

Once your sales price and payment are determined, it’s important to start looking for a home that falls within the sales price but also has the Things you are looking for at home. Simplify the process through the following. Pick 6 different things that you are looking for in a home. Then circle the top 3 things. These are your non-negotiables. Things like school zones or how many floors the home has, sometimes it's a community that allows for fences for security or It must have a gated entry.

Cosmetic things like the types of windows, the type of flooring, or the paint Should not be Determining factors when buying a home.

Remember, in most cases, this is not your forever home. The average time lived in a Florida home in central Florida hovers at about 8 1/2 years.

Get out of the Burdensome cycle of renting and build thousands of dollars in equity through your monthly payment.

An expert realtor will know the neighborhood you are focusing your search and understand the numbers you're working with in terms of your mortgage. Also very important, please remember that regardless of what You see on TV shows of celebrity realtors, the final negotiations of a sales price and terms of purchasing a home are between you, the buyer, and the seller.  The listing agent and buyer's agent's sole purpose is to Facilitate the transfer of property. Yes, each agent can provide information and recommendations for how to present or accept an offer.