Starting your home buying journey can make you excited and overwhelmed all at the same time. Teaming up with an experienced mortgage loan officer and realtor will help to guide you through the home buying process while keeping the stress at bay. This team will also keep you focused on the important things when you’re house hunting. Let’s evaluate what to look for and what to look past during your home search!
Focus on This
Getting Pre-Approved with Your Loan Officer: A mortgage loan officer can get you started on your home buying journey by getting you pre-approved. This starts by taking an in-depth look at your credit report and ability to purchase a home. The loan officer will verify your source of income, look at your assets, and examine your credit score and payment history, so they will need items like pay stubs, W-2 forms, and bank statements to get rolling.
Create a Wish List with Your Realtor: After you have worked with your mortgage lender to get pre-approved and determine your price range, you can start the house-hunting journey. This is also the perfect time to create your starter home wish list. This tool will help you determine what you must have in your new house in addition to what you are willing to compromise on. Items on this checklist include things like number of bedrooms, bathrooms, but also things like having a yard, finished basement, or walk-in closets. Get started today by using our handy checklist!
Look Past These Things
Walls: There are certain things that you can look past when you go home shopping. Cosmetic fixes like a tacky paint color or ugly dated wallpaper shouldn’t stop you from buying a home that checks off all the other things on your checklist. While it is understandably nice to find a house that’s move-in ready, you might find the perfect home that needs a few DIY projects. Wallpaper can be taken down and a fresh coat of paint can do wonders for a house that has good bones. Focus on the big picture!
Carpet: Just like wallpaper and paint, carpet can be easily changed without breaking the bank. It’s also possible that you can even negotiate for new carpet in your offer.
Usage: Don’t intently focus on the clutter or the way rooms are currently being used by the sellers. Instead, try and look past their furniture, clutter, and décor and imagine your things in the space. It may be hard to picture at times, but don’t let it stop you from finding your dream house.
