Though the HGTV “reality” shows may try to convince you otherwise, buying a home is never as easy as walking in and saying, “I’ll take it!”. Real estate is likely the largest purchase most people will ever make, and it requires a good deal of thought and care in the process. If you’re considering a home purchase in the near future, here are a few things you should do to make the process enjoyable every step of the way.
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Secure a Mortgage Pre-Approval
Unless you intend to pay cash, you’ll need to provide a pre-approval letter along with any offer to purchase a home. Deciding how much you’ll be able to contribute for a down payment is the first step to obtaining this important pre-approval, since a lender will use that to form the basis of your letter. You’ll also want to make sure that your credit score is the highest it can be, as that will affect a bank’s willingness to offer you a loan. Once you’ve obtained your pre-approval letter, you can start actively pursuing properties in the appropriate price range.
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Make A Needs and Wants List
Everybody has a vision of what they’re looking for in a home. But what do you really need? First make a basic list of what you can’t live without—things like number of bedrooms and bathrooms, parking and storage concerns, proximity to work, and school district. Then make a secondary list that would really turn a house into your dream home—desirable amenities, outdoor spaces, layout options, and more. A two-tiered list of needs and wants will really help you to focus your home search.
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Search Online Listings
Using your dream home wish list, you can get a good idea of what’s available in your price range just by doing some simple searches online. We consider our site the best tool for this purpose, of course. We’ve designed this space with different search options including location, price range, amenities, and more. We’ve even taken it a step further and sorted available listings for you by area and neighborhood so you can locate your dream home faster.
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Attend Open Houses
If you’re considering a move to an unfamiliar neighborhood, a great next step might be attending an open house or two. Open houses let you casually look over not only a specific property but also the surrounding area. It’s a hands-on approach that you simply cannot do via the internet. At an open house, you’ll want to take note of a neighborhood’s accessibility and general atmosphere to assess whether or not you could see yourself living in this house or a house nearby.
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Work with A Real Estate Agent
Finally, even as great as our website is, there’s no replacement for the one-on-one service of a professional realtor. A real estate agent can help you combine all your preparation and research into a personalized place that’s perfect for you. Our team knows the Space Coast already—let us get to know you so that we can find exactly where you’ll be the happiest within this wonderful community.
