Buying a home - in Houston or anywhere - can and
should be easy. These five easy steps can make all the
difference.
1. Choose A Realtor®: Most people
just want to start
by
looking at homes - now. That is not the best approach. Step
One should
be choosing a Realtor®. Choosing a good one up front will save you time, trouble
and money no matter how experienced you are at
home buying. You'll also want to be sure that your
Realtor® is an Accredited Buyer Representative - ABR.
For information on choosing a Realtor® and buyer representation
visit Houston Home Buyer's Agent and Houston Home Buyer Representation.
You'll also want to Register As A Buyer.
2. Get The Money Ready:
Step Two is determining how much house you can afford and
to pay for it. If you will be financing the purchase, getting
your mortgage Pre-Approved is critical and MUST be done before proceeding
further. A good resource for financing is Real Estate Mortgages and Information.The
Realtor® you chose in Step One can also help you
select a lender. Cash buyers should consider such items as the lead time for
investment sales or funds transfers, maturity dates of CD's, etc. All buyers
will want to know what to expect regarding taxes, closing costs and other
settlement fees for the real estate purchase. Again your Realtor®
can provide valuable input here.
3. Learn The Ropes: With the
Realtor® (Step One) and Money
(Step Two) you are moving in the right direction. But
first a little home buying homework
is needed. It includes some reading and internet
"surfing". Many books are available on the subject and
this real estate site is loaded with facts and information. Take time to
browse around and study up. A good starting place is Houston Home Buying - Top Ten Tips & Guide.
This is also the time to do some preliminary on-line viewing of homes in
your price range using this site: Houston Home
Listings. Your Realtor® will be happy to
provide suggestions and answer questions.
4. Choose The Neighborhood:
Now you are fully equipped, knowledgeable and really
making progress. But, Step Four is still not looking "inside"
homes. It is looking "outside" - at the
Neighborhoods. The worst possible mistake is
buying the "right" home in the "wrong" place. Choosing the neighborhood
should be based on factors such as affordability, amenities,
types of homes, schools, commuting
time, and others but, most important is the "look and feel" of it.
Go out and take a drive through some of the subdivisions in which you found
listed homes during Step Three. Go at different times of the day and on
different days. You'll know if you like an area right away. More important,
you'll know if any neighborhood is not right for you.
5. Finally - Look At Homes:
With Step Four done you should have narrowed the field to
one or two neighborhoods - Max. And, best of all, you are
now ready to look at homes. Now you should recheck
the on-line listings - Houston
Home Listings - to see what
is available in the areas you have picked. Your Realtor will also provide
you input to be sure you are seeing all the available homes and not missing
any new listings. After
you select a list of
homes your Realtor® / Buyer's Agent will schedule appointments and accompany you to
visit them. Congratulations! The final selection of
your perfect home is just around
the corner.
* * * * * * *
Making the Selection / Making the Deal / Escrow / Closing: This
Five-Step What To Do First list has gotten you on the final stretch to
buying your home. But there is much left to do. The part that is most fun
will be looking at the homes with your Realtor®.
He will help you narrow the list and zero in on the final candidate or two.
You'll want to ask plenty of questions along the way. You'll want to look in
every closet, attic and garage. You'll also want, and should expect, your
Realtor® to provide you with an evaluation of the
price of your selected home. But, there is much much more to it - and many
pitfalls to avoid. But, don't worry, your Realtor®
/ ABR will be there every step of the way to protect your interests and
provide guidance and advice. So, what are you waiting for? Let's get
started!
