HELP! I'm Buying my First Home and I Don't Know Where to Start!

Today’s blog post was inspired by a friend of mine who contacted me about buying a house.  She told me she had no idea where to start or what to do or how it works and asked if I could give her some guidance to help her and her boyfriend purchase their first house.  So what better way to help them and help other first time home buyers than to create a blog of my recommended steps to the home buying process.

STEP ONE – THE PREAPPROVAL

Everyone is excited about buying their first home.  But during all the excitement you must remember that the bank is going to weigh in on what you purchase, or shall I say how much you spend?!?  The first thing you should do is contact your mortgage broker or banker to get what is called a “preapproval”.  The preapproval will tell you IF they will lend you money, and if so how much they will lend you.  This number is important because it will determine what price range your REALTOR® should look in when trying to find the right home for you.

STEP TWO – THE DOWN PAYMENT

Although you won’t know exactly what dollar amount you will require for a down payment until you know the exact purchase price of the home you are buying, it is important to ensure you have a savings to make the down payment.  A minimum down payment of 5% is required to purchase your first home.  If the down payment is an issue, you can talk to you bank or mortgage broker about a “gifted” down payment, should you have someone willing to give you the money for a down payment.

STEP THREE – BE PREPARED FOR OTHER RELATED COSTS

When purchasing a house, there will be other costs related to your purchase.  There will be legal fees (contact your lawyer for an estimate), there will be moving cost, mortgage insurance, home insurance, home inspection fee, there could be fees for transferring utilities for a new home into your name and you may need new furniture and appliances for your new home.  Consider all of these items and set aside funds to ensure they are available when the time comes.

STEP FOUR – CONSIDER CREATING A “BUDGET”

After getting your “preapproval”, take your monthly income and start subtracting your monthly expenses.  Items such as: heat, hydro, water, sewer, telephones, internet, cable/satellite, groceries, gas for the car, a little money for some entertainment, and any other monthly expense you may have such as a car loan or student loan.  Some of them may require some “guestimates”.  From there determine how much you have left. 

In your preapproval you should have received you a monthly mortgage payment amount.  Looking at what you have left and the amount they gave you, can you afford the “preapproved” purchase price the bank is willing to lend you?  If not, be prepared to lower the price you are willing to pay for a home.  Too many times we see people strapped after their home purchase and no money to travel or go out for a nice dinner.  Leave yourself some room and be comfortable with your monthly expenses.

STEP FIVE – CREATE YOUR “MUST HAVE” AND “WISH” LISTS

Start your home search by creating your “must have” list.  These are things that you cannot live without.  So for example – must be in town, have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage, a basement (finished or unfinished) and a gas fireplace. 

Then create your “wish” list.  For example – would like an ensuite bath, Jacuzzi tub, hardwood flooring, fenced back yard, and deck on the back.

When you start working with your REALTOR® you can provide them with this list to help them find your dream home!

STEP SIX – CALL YOUR REALTOR®

A local REALTOR® is your key to finding the right home, finding it quickly, and being well represented in your purchase.  Many people believe they must call the REALTOR® who has the property listed for sale.  This is not the case.  Any REALTOR® can sell you a property listed for sale on the MLS® system.  So find the REALTOR® that suits your needs.  One who you trust and have confidence in.  Don’t be afraid to ask them questions about their experiences and get to know them to ensure they will be working hard on your behalf. 

Your REALTOR® will do a search of the MLS® system and provide you with a list of homes that match your “must have” list and hopefully even your “wish list”.  Then, you are able to look at them online, view additional photos, and narrow down the search results to the ones that interest you most.  Then start the viewing process!

From there, you are in good hands.  Your REALTOR® will guide you through the rest of the process.  Once you find your dream home, your REALTOR® will help you with all the formalities.  They will provide guidance as to finding a home inspector, getting home insurance, confirming your firm financing approval, assisting you in finding a lawyer, and sending all the documents to your lawyer in order to complete the transaction with no hiccups.

Your REALTOR® will also negotiate all agreements of purchase and sale on your behalf, representing your interests in the purchase.  Your REALTOR® can help you determine the appropriate purchase price for the property based on comparable sales, and offer suggestions for items you may want to include in your purchase price such as the homes appliances.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you aren’t sure you understand what is happening.  The home buying process includes a lot of paperwork and signing of contracts.  Your REALTOR® is there to help you understand what you are signing and to include conditions or clauses to protect you in what is likely the biggest purchase of your life at this point.

STEP SEVEN – ENJOY YOUR NEW HOME!