Congratulations on starting the process of home ownership! We know that buying your first home can be both exciting and at times scary, which is why we have put together some tips on how to get started and what to look out for along the way. Finding a buyer’s agent that can truly guide you through each step in buying a home can make your life a lot less stressful!

Since this is your first house, look at your finances and decide if continuing to rent or if now is the right time to buy is an important first step. Here is a quick tool to compare renting vs owning in regards to costs.

Renting v. Own Calculator

When it comes to your mortgage you’re going to have options both with which lender you choose to work with and what product best fits your needs. Your buyer’s agent can recommend loan officers/banks but the choice is ultimately yours. Keep in mind you can switch lenders after you’ve been pre-approved. We always recommend shopping your loan once you’ve written a contract.

It is important to understand current market conditions and how interest rates affect your purchasing power or what a higher purchase price equates to in terms of a monthly payment.

Mortgage Calculator With Rates

Interest Affects The Price

Is It Worth It?

If you’re feeling good about your preliminary numbers then a good next step is to get pre-approved. Not only will your pre-approval let you know what your total purchasing power is you can also work backwards and decide what monthly mortgage payment you’re comfortable with and ask the lender what loan amount would fit that payment.

Click Here To Learn More About The Pre-Approval Process

To help you organize your wants and needs and to help your agent find the area that fits these here is a checklist to fill out:

Click Here To View And Print The Buyer’s Checklist