Home Buying Guide
Steps to owning your own home
- Be committed to buying a home regardless of the sacrifice. It’s worth it.
- Get pre-qualified for a mortgage and save some money.
- Determine how much you can afford to pay and stay within that budget.
- Find a Realtor to help you through the process, since their service is free to you.
- Look for well kept neighborhoods in close proximity to where you work and play.
- The home you choose should be a balance between want you want, need and can afford.
- Negotiate the price. Sellers always ask more than they expect to get.
- Rely on your realtor’s expertise since they facilitate transactions on a daily basis.
- Apply for your mortgage immediately after the contract is accepted.
- Have the property inspected by a licensed inspector and also get a termite report.
- Negotiate the repairs to determine if seller will fix items or give you money to fix after closing.
- Get a copy of seller’s old survey or get a new one to ensure what you are buying.
- Shop around for homeowners insurance.
- Check the address in the flood map at www.tsarp.org to determine probability of flooding.
- Flood insurance may or may not be required but is inexpensive enough to have regardless.
- Close at a title company and make sure that the seller is providing you title insurance.
- Coordinate the moving date with seller and the switching over of the utilities.
- File the homestead exemption paperwork to keep your taxes lower.
- Enjoy your new home and the pride in ownership.