Steps to Take Before You Call a Real Estate Agent to Buy a House
Posted on: 30 May 2018
Before you can buy a house, you may need some time to get ready for this event. After all, a house is probably the most expensive thing you may ever purchase during your lifetime, and you should take this event seriously. When you think it is time to buy a house, here are the steps you should take to make sure that you are ready.
Evaluate your situation.
The first step is to take some time to evaluate your personal situation simply to ensure that buying a house fits into your budget, future plans, and lifestyle. One area to consider is your job. How safe is your job? Have you been there for at least a year or two? Do you have plans on switching jobs or moving to a new area anytime soon?
Before you buy a house, you will need to make sure you have steady income and that you plan on sticking around the area for at least five years. If you have a plan to move within a couple of years, there is no point in buying a house at this point.
Additionally, do you have money saved up for a down payment? Is your credit good enough to get a loan? These are all good questions to ask yourself and evaluate before you make a call to a real estate agent.
Apply for a preapproval.
The second thing you will want to do before calling an agent is go to a bank to find out what you need to do to get preapproved for a loan. Getting a loan to buy a house is not easy for some people. It requires having good credit, steady income, and money to put down. If you feel you meet these requirements, you can go ahead and apply for a preapproval. If you do not, you could consider waiting a few months or years so that your odds of approval will be greater. If you apply for a preapproval and get approved, you will have just one more step to complete before calling an agent.
Write a list of what you want.
The final step you should take is writing a list of the features you long for and need in a house. This should include your budget amount to spend on the house, the size, and the location. You can include any other features that matter to you as well.
Once you do these things, you can begin looking for a home to buy, and you can do that by contacting a real estate agent.
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