Buying a home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. This week, we're featuring steps 1 to 5 of our "How to Become a Homeowner" guide. Following our tips will make the home-buying process as easy and stress-free as possible. So much so that you might even enjoy yourself!

Step 1: Plan, Plan & Plan

As the saying goes "failing to plan is planning to fail." Making sure you have everything in order, from extra cash and mortgage pre-approval, to knowing where you want to live and what kind of house you can afford, will go a long way in making your home-buying process a successful one.

Do some research about your local real estate market to help better define your needs and your goals.

Aside from needing enough money squared away for a down payment, as well as the associated closing costs, you need to make sure your financial house is in order. Ensuring your credit score is as healthy as possible can save you a big chunk of change when it comes to purchasing that home.

Step 2: Find a Real Estate Agent

Selling and buying real estate is a complicated process that involves so much more than just finding the perfect home, like marketing, negotiating, and financing. We might be a bit biased here, but we can't stress enough the importance of hiring a professional, experienced real estate agent. The National Association of REALTORS® is a group of over 1 million brokers and salespeople with a strong Code of Ethics, extensive training, experience, professional certifications and local knowledge. Do some research and don't be afraid to interview several people before selecting a real estate agent.

Step 3: Get Pre-Approved for a Loan

Getting pre-approval for a loan demonstrates your borrowing power and financial strength to listing brokers and sellers. To get pre-approved, meet with a loan officer who will review your credit information and overall financial situation. Based on this assessment, the loan officer will provide you with a loan amount that you can qualify for, as well as suggestions for different mortgage programs most suitable to your situation.

Step 4: Search Available Homes

There's always a wide variety of housing options for prospective buyers to choose from, so much so that it's easy to get overwhelmed. It's important to first decide what you're looking for in a home. This can include location, price, interior features, commuting distances, tax costs, amenities and design. The next step is to consider your priorities and what you're willing to compromise on if you can't find a home with everything you want within your budget. It's also important to think of what your needs will be in the future.

Del-co Realty's custom search engine makes finding your dream home easier than ever. Choose your search criteria, being as general or specific as you like, and see what homes are available in a particular area, within a certain price range, close to a specific school, or all of the above!

Search Homes for Sale Now!

 

Step 5: Choose a Home

Perhaps the most difficult part of the home-buying process is selecting the house itself. After-all, a home is where you spend a lot of your time, it's where you relax, entertain, and potentially raise a family.

Once you find "the One", you have three options: you can accept the seller's offer and create a contract, reject the offer and move on, or make a counter-offer that includes different terms. If you go with option #3, the seller then has the same three options that you, the buyer, originally had. This bargaining and negotiating phase is perhaps where working with a Realtor® will be of most value to you.


Next week, we'll continue with steps 6 to 10 of the home ownership process, so be sure to tune in!

 

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the home-buying process in the Greenville, SC area, please don't hesitate to contact us at (864) 292-3333 or send us a message online.

We're here to help you with all of your Greenville real estate needs.

- Lisa Alexander, Del-co Realty Group, Inc.

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