Attending home viewings and open houses is probably the most exciting part of buying a house, but it is not the first step. Before you begin this part of the home-buying process, you might need to do a few other things. What are these things? If you would like to know, continue reading. You can also learn by talking to a real estate agent that specializes in helping people buy and sell single-family homes. Here are several things the agent might tell you to do before they begin showing you homes.
1. Sell Your Other Home
If you currently have a house that you own and live in, what are your plans for this home? Do you want to keep it as a rental property? If so, you can move on to working on your loan information. If you do not want to keep it, you will need to sell the house. To sell it, you might need to contact a real estate agent to list it unless you already listed it. Selling one house is usually a requirement before buying another. After all, it might be challenging to qualify for a home loan if you already have one.
2. Make Sure You Are a Qualified Buyer
Becoming a qualified buyer means that you applied for a mortgage loan and received a preapproval from a bank. A preapproval tells you that you meet the loan requirements for a mortgage, and it reveals the amount you can borrow. It is easier getting preapproved if you already sold your house, but you might be able to do this even if you still have your other house. It depends on your financial picture and situation.
3. Create a List of Features You Want
The third thing to do is to create a list of the features you want to find in a single-family home. What are the primary things you want and need in a home? You should consider this question and make a list of the features you hope to find. You and your real estate agent can use this list to narrow down the list of homes for sale in your city.
You can also begin scrolling through single-family home listings to see what types of homes you can choose from and the prices of the properties. If you are ready to contact an agent to set up showings, call one in your city.
Contact a company like Dal Cerro Group - Keller Williams Realty Consultants to learn more.