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Writer's pictureGil Judkins

Buying a house checklist

Introduction


When you're buying a home, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the process. After all, this is what you've been waiting for! But before you put down any money on your new place, there are some things that need to be taken care of first. We'll help walk through some of these basics below.

What can you afford?

Before you even begin to think about buying a house, it's important to know what will be in your budget. This can help you decide on how much house you can afford and whether or not it makes sense for you.

  • What is your current income?

If this is the first time that someone has been applying for a mortgage, then they might not have any idea how much money they make each month or even what their expenses are every day. It's best if someone who doesn't work full-time qualifies for an FHA loan because this type of loan has low interest rates and requires less money down payment than conventional mortgages do (the minimum amount required varies by state). However, if someone does work full-time but wants to buy their own home anyway—or if they want something larger than what traditional lenders offer (such as those who specialize in affordable housing)—then having more information about one's actual income levels would be useful before applying online through an automated system like Turbo Lender™."

Get pre-approved.

Before you move forward with the purchase of a home, it's important to make sure that your finances can support the purchase. The first step in this process is getting pre-approved for a mortgage so that you know how much money is available to pay off your loan if necessary. This will also help determine whether or not the house is right for you and your family’s needs.

A home inspection can help determine what repairs are needed before signing on the dotted line with an offer letter from sellers or buyers alike; however, there will always be surprises during this process so make sure everything seems okay before making any decisions based on what they show up as needing repaired (or not). If possible try asking neighbors who have lived there longer than yourself if they've seen any problems develop over time—it may come back later when something breaks unexpectedly!

Think about what you want in a home.

When you're looking for a house, it's important to understand what you want in your home. Think about why you want to purchase a particular property and how much space is required for each of these things:

  • How many bedrooms do I need?

  • How many bathrooms do I need?

  • Do I want an attached garage or not? If so, what size would be best for me and my family's needs (e.g., two cars)? How much space will be used by those cars and their associated equipment (e.g., snowblowers)? Will we have pets living with us while we are at home who will require more than one bathroom near their kennel area—or could they share with another dog who already has access to two baths/showers per day as part of his regular routine).

House hunting.

Its a good idea to find a real estate agent, who can help you narrow down your choices by showing you houses that fit your specifications. They're also great at finding out what's available in the area, so they know where to look for houses that have everything you want.

Once you've found an agent and started looking around, make sure that he or she knows about any problems with the property before signing anything or making any decisions about buying it. If there are any major issues (like a leaky roof), don't wait until after closing day when doing repairs could cost extra money and time. This is especially important if there are hidden costs associated with repairs—like needing foundation work done or replacing flooring because of water damage—that weren't disclosed upfront when negotiating price!

Get a home inspection.

A home inspection is the process of evaluating the condition of a property and its structural components. Home inspectors look at every aspect of your house, from the roof to the foundation, to determine if it's safe for you to buy it.

A good home inspector can help you make an informed decision about whether or not a particular property is right for you—and what needs fixing before moving in. If there are any problems with your new home's structure or wiring, this could cost thousands of dollars in repairs or even force you out entirely! At least with a well-trained professional looking over things first hand before purchase time comes around again...

Make an offer.

Once you've decided on the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the location of your home, and other details such as its size and style—and after taking into account any special requests from prospective buyers—you're ready to make an offer.

To do this:

  • Write down your offer on paper in pencil or pen by hand; this will help keep you focused on what it needs to include in order for it to be accepted by all parties involved (the seller and their agents).

  • Make sure that all terms are clearly stated before signing any transaction documents; otherwise there could be confusion later on if something changes unexpectedly during negotiations or processing time.

Get a mortgage.

If you’re planning on buying a house, it’s important to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This will allow you to find the right lender and determine what kind of mortgage would work best for your situation.

To get pre-approved for a mortgage, contact banks or lenders in your area that offer mortgages. They may ask for some basic information about yourself and your finances (e.g., income level), but most will not require anything more than this initial step before they can begin looking at other aspects of your application—including down payment amount, interest rate and term length—to determine whether or not they can provide financing based on those factors alone (or in combination). You should also consider whether there are any special terms attached such as cash back or no penalty fees if there is no home price appreciation during term time; otherwise these fees could add up quickly over time!

Buying a home is a big financial decision, so it helps to have all your bases covered before making an offer.

Buying a home is a big financial decision, so it helps to have all your bases covered before making an offer. Here are some things you can do ahead of time:

  • Know how much down payment you should make on the house you want to buy. If your credit score is low enough that lenders think it will take longer for them to get paid back than the interest rate they charge, then they may not approve your loan at all! This can be avoided by going through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (the two main mortgage lending agencies), which has programs designed specifically for borrowers who have bad credit histories and need help getting loans approved quickly. Don't worry—they're not just handing out money like candy; there are serious steps involved in qualifying first!

  • Shop around for different types of mortgages available at different banks/lenders near where potential buyers live before deciding on one particular lender (or multiple ones). This way when it comes time for closing dates later down road if needed later on down road then everything will already be lined up properly instead having panic attacks over who could possibly open their doors first after waiting months long hours just waiting patiently while others rushed around themselves rushing around hoping someone else wouldn't forget something important along with them...

Conclusion

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when buying a home, but with some planning, you can make sure that everything goes smoothly. We hope this checklist will help you out when it comes time to buy your next house!

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