Buying your first home is one of the biggest decisions you will make. Just about everyone feels a little overwhelmed when shopping for their first home. After all, there are a lot of things to think about: finding properties to view, choosing a trustworthy realtor, arranging financing, making an offer, negotiating, finding a mover, the list goes on and on.

So what is the next step to buying your first home?

The first step, is to determine how much of a downpayment you can afford and don’t forget to plan ahead for the various expenses related to owning a home. Calculating all your monthly and household expenses will help you determine how much you can afford.

Getting your bank to pre-approve a mortgage will let you know the maximum you can borrow and the price range you can afford when buying your first home. This will help both you and you Realtor as you begin your search. A Realtor can identify homes in your price range so you don’t end up falling in love with a home that is too much for you to afford. Download our FREE Home Buying Checklist to help you find the right home to fill both your needs and desires.

Your next step to buying your first home, is to find a Realtor to work with. When it comes to choosing a real estate agent, consumers who do their homework can save thousands of dollars and experience a smooth financial and physical transition.

Now you’re ready to start looking for a home. Be sure and take advantage of all the available options for finding homes on the market, including using your real estate agent, searching for listings online and driving around the neighborhoods that interest you.

When you’ve found a home and you’re ready to make an offer, your real estate agent will help you decide how much money you want to offer for the house along with any conditions you want to ask for, such as a home inspection and financing. Your agent will then present the offer to the seller’s agent; the seller will either accept your offer or issue a counter-offer. You can then accept, or continue to go back and forth until you either reach a deal or decide to call it quits. If you reach an agreement, you’ll make a good-faith deposit, and your that much closer to buying your first home.

Once your conditions have been waived you are ready to close. On closing day, once you have paid the downpayment (minus the deposit) to your lawyer and paid the remaining closing costs can call the house your home.

Congratulations you survived the process of buying your first home and you are now a homeowner!!

Please don’t let the process scare you! We can make the experience enjoyable one. Contact us when you are ready, and we will answer all your questions about buying your first home.