So you're thinking of buying a home ... Fabulous! But before you start looking all over the web at houses, the 1st thing you need to do is find out just how much of a house you can buy. Since you won't be paying 100% cash, you'll need to get a loan/mortgage.
In previous years, this "1st Step" used to be having a lender or bank take a quick look at your financials and Pre-Qualifing you with a ballpark range. However, it is now highly recommended that you get Pre-Approved. This is a more in-depth look at your financials and needed verifications done by the lender and is therefore a longer process, which unfortunetly has gotten longer. According to a RISMEDIA article and a study that was done between July and August of this year (2010), the time from a Mortgage Application to Approval has increased to 27.5 days since 2009 when it was just 20 days (RISMEDIA.com). Because of this longer process, it's a good idea to meet with a lender a few months before you'd like to buy your house and move.
By being Pre-Approved for a certain dollar amount, you have secured the loan before falling in love with a house and have greatly reduced the stress involved in buying a new home. Now that you have secured your maximum loan amount, your next step is to find yourself a qualified Realtor to help guide you in the Home Buying Process and can narrow your home search to houses in your price range that meet your needs. I'd love to be your Realtor!
Let me know if you're thinking about purchasing a home and we can go over this process in more depth. I can also refer you to a fabulous lender who really give extrodinary personal care.
