You Haven't Really Started Looking For A Home Unless You've Talked To A Lender

You Haven't Really Started Looking For A Home Unless You've Talked To A Lender

You’ve decided to buy a home. Congratulations! This is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. You want to make sure you choose a home that’s right for your needs – now and in the
future.

So what’s your first step? You'll probably look at some homes online and go to a few open houses, but then what? Call me and start looking, right?

Choosing the right agent is an important step on this journey, and when you choose me I’ll work hard to find the right home for you. I’ll ask you questions about where you want to live, what kind of home you want, how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want, and whether you want a yard or something that requires less maintenance, like a townhouse or condo.

One of the first questions I'll ask is if you've spoken to a lender and gotten approved. This is an integral part of the process, and until you’ve spoken to a lender you haven’t really started a serious home search.

Talking to a lender lets you know how much home you can afford. Your time is valuable; knowing your budget helps me efficiently find homes that will fit your needs and your budget. Going through the approval process also gives you the opportunity to check your credit score and shop for the best interest rate for your loan.

In addition, the type of loan you get may exclude certain properties from your search. For example, homes purchased with FHA, VA, and USDA loans have to meet certain requirements that don’t apply to conventional loans.

Finally, when you make an offer you will need to include an approval letter from your lender showing that you qualify to purchase the property at the offer price. This shows the seller that you are serious about your offer. While it doesn’t happen every day, some people who are “just looking” find the home of their dreams on the first day of looking. If you've talked to your lender and gotten approved, you can make an offer quickly before someone else decides that your dream home is their dream home.

As always, if you have questions I'm here for you. Call or text me at (703) 935-6891.