Looking to Buy a Home? Here’s How to Start

Real Estate Tip by Ben Arce

So you want to buy a house…great, now what?  Buying a house can be one of the most happy, stressful, expensive, exciting events in your life.  There are definitely a wide range of emotions throughout the entire process.  My first recommendation is to step back and take a deep breath.  One of most crucial steps before you do anything is to answer the question why.  Everyone knows or thinks they know what they want in a house but no one is sure why they want or need it.  You want a 3 bedroom, great WHY…you want 1500sqft, great WHY…you want parking, perfect, WHY…you want to buy, awesome WHY?!  Remember, buying a house has a wide range of emotions and the earlier you take these next steps, the easier the buying process becomes.

First, get professional help!  The good news is most if not all real estate agents charge nothing for their services.  Just like anything else you do, make sure you do your homework on whomever you decide to work with.  Don’t be afraid to interview several agents or ask friends for referrals.  Buying a home is usually one of the most expensive purchases in your life, treat it that way.  Working with a good local real estate agent will assist you to come up with the initial game plan, going back to WHY.  I couldn’t stress how crucial planning the process is. A good example I often use with my clients is being sick.  When you’re sick, you don’t just call the doctor tell them you have a headache and they proceed to brain surgery.  They have nurses triage, they diagnose, and only then they prescribe.  If a real estate agent doesn’t have the time to diagnose your situation or even attempts to assist and help with you’re strategy then move on to the next.

Real Estate professional Ben Arce walks you through the first steps before buying a home

Once you have your game plan in place, get preapproved with a LOCAL mortgage professional.  After you figure out the WHY, determine your budget.  My only advise for getting preapproved is use local and don’t only consider where you bank.  Part of your initial consultation with your real estate agent will be the mortgage preapproval process.  If you work with a good agent, I’d bet that they work with good mortgage companies; listen to them, that’s why you choose to work with them.  Don’t do anything else before these two crucial steps.  It will save you time, stress, headache, and heartache.  As always I am here as a resource.  Don’t hesitate to shoot me an email and I’d be more than happy to help.

Please send all Real Estate questions to [email protected] and Ben will be happy to field your questions!