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The Home Buying Process

Pre-Approval

To put it plainly, if you do not have a cash sum to pay for the house you want to buy, most likely you will need financing. Getting pre-approved is the most important step to purchasing a home if you are in need of financing a home. There are a few programs that a lender may have that you can use to help assist with down payment or remodeling costs to update a home, especially first-time home buyers. You need to have a pre-approval from a lender to begin the process to purchase a home. Viewing homes that are not in your budget or that you are approved to buy are a waste of time so it is imperative that you get a lender's approval first.

How Much Home Can I Afford?

How much money will the bank lend you to buy a home? This depends on many factors. Some of these include:

  • Household Income
  • Debt-to-income Ratio
  • Credit Score
  • Current Mortgage Rates
  • Loan Type
  • Loan Length
  • Self-employed or W-2
  • Length of Employment
  • Job changes
  • Recent Credit Inquiries
  • New Credit Opened
  • Delinquencies or collections
  • Property Taxes on the Property 
  • HOA/MUD or PID Fees
  • PITI or PMI
  • Flood Insurance
  • Closing Costs

Timeline

Perfect Home Finder

After getting pre-approval for a mortgage, you now can begin shopping for a new home. Your agent will book appointments for you and accompany you to view these homes. Most all homes on the market require a licensed real estate agent in that state to open the doors and show you around. Off-market properties such as "For Sale By Owner" do not always require you to have an agent show the property. But for the best practices and scam prevention it is best for you to have an agent. The agent you hire will more than likely collect broker commission fees at closing from the seller so you need not worry about hiring an agent and paying for services out-of-pocket.

Your timeline is a high priority to consider before shopping for a new home. If you qualify to purchase a home for a smaller amount but a job change or a change in income might help you qualify for more it might be a good idea to look at the timing. If you have a lease that expires in the near future you may want to consider the costs of paying rent and a new mortgage at the same time if timing it just right is near impossible.

 

Talk to your realtor about what options are available and if your lender has given you the green light to proceed. If you own a home this process can be more challenging. There are financial aspects to consider and what you can do legally when it comes to timing, closing, and if proceeds of the sale of your current home are needed to purchase the new one. If you have to move out of the state or country is another scenario that will require more planning.

If you have a home to sell chances are that you are trying to figure out what to do next after you move or maybe you already have a plan but not sure of the timing. Your lender and realtor can help you with this scenario. They are very knowledgeable and can help you determine if a contingency  or a leaseback is the right choice depending on your circumstances.

 

Relocating is a whole other factor. Moving from out-of-state can be a daunting process and you really have to lean on a local realtor in DFW Texas to help lead you in the right direction based on your needs. They know the area and can help you find out the options that make sense for you.

 

There are also things like DPS, movers, storage, temporary housing, etc. Having an agent  look into this for you is in your best interest and they are more than happy to help you out.

There are many people that you will work with throughout this process to ensure that you are legally protected and understand what you are getting into on purchasing a new home. The last thing you want is to get into a money pit when this could have been avoided by doing your due diligence and get a couple of professionals opinions. This could be a real estate attorney, a home inspector, appraisal, contractor, engineer, electrician, foundation repair, roofer, plumber or any other professional you might want to take a look at the property you want to purchase.

 

Your Real Estate Agent will tell you what your options are and give you advice on what to do if your inspection report comes in with items that need to be addressed or looked at more thoroughly. Most of the time you can get free estimates and professional opinions at little or no cost.

Do I have a Home to Sell or Relocating?

Home Inspections

Professional Opinions

 

Should I Buy a Home?


Let us work with you to find and purchase your perfect home. We know the area, the market conditions, and the opportunities for buyers in today’s market. We can tell you about all the options and you pick!

Working with us guarantees you the local knowledge and market information you need. We’re local experts with a reputation for excellence.

Our Commitment

We Make The Purchase Process Easy

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Meet Our Preferred Lender

LHM Financial

Loan Originator, NMLS #79526

Maria Simons


"Maria is great! When it comes to getting things done in a crunch she makes things happen. Maria educates her clients on the market, rates, and lender approval processes that they need to know for potential monthly payments and how much house they can afford according to their budget. Highly recommend".

~Christopher Lemoine & Raven Aultman



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