First Time Home Buyer?

Being a first time home buyer can be a daunting task.  Going from paying rent or living with someone to buying a home is not an easy take.  There are a number of things you can do to make this process much less overwhelming.  There are some steps to buying a house that you can take to make sure you are on track before you ever start looking for your new home.

Some brief questions you should ask yourself before proceeding should be question such as:

Am I ready? 

Before you even peruse buying a house, you should really ask yourself: Am I ready?  Owning a home is a huge responsibility.  No matter how new a house is there will always be issues so you will have to make sure you are ready for the task of fixing the issues that may arise as well as caring for the property through upkeep.  Additionally, if you are purchasing the home with someone else they should be asking themselves the same question.  It’s probably a good idea to talk with your partner about their readiness to make sure you that you are on the same page about the responsibility that comes along with buying a property.

How much can I afford for a home? 

This is probably one of the most important question to ask yourself before buying a home.  As a homeowner it’s very important that you have your finances in place before you actually own a home.  If you are responsible with paying your current rent and other bills you are on track for the next step.  On the other hand, if you have trouble with your current living expenses then you may want to get a handle of that before taking the next step to buy a home.

Where do I want to live?

This is an important question because your home will probably be one of the biggest investments you make during your lifetime.  The most common considerations retail real estate buyers want is a place near their job where their commute isn’t too long, good school districts if you have children, safety and property taxes.  There are many other factors to consider when buying a house and each buyer is different but whatever you choose make sure you prioritize your list by what’s most important.  It’s very rare that you get everything on your list that you want. 

Once you have a basic understanding of these questions you can start to focus on the next steps to buying a home for yourself.  The process is not a light process buy any means and must be approached with sobriety.