Ways to Fall in Love with a New Home

Ways to Fall in Love with a New Home

The stress of buying a new home can take away from the beauty and excitement of it! We’re no strangers to buying homes, and through the years have learned many loopholes and tricks to avoid complications. To ease the process, we have the best ways to help you LOVE your new home. 

1. Meet with a Loan Officer

This is the first step toward your forever home! You need to determine the best price range for you, so this will definitely be the first step. No one is a huge fan of interviews, but it’s a good idea to dress nicely and make sure to have all the required documents. The paperwork usually includes: 

• Copy of your driver’s license

• Pay stubs for the last 30 days

• Tax returns for the past two years

• W-2 documents for the past two years

• Bank statements for the past 60 days

Having the paperwork on-hand helps speed up the process, which is great on both ends! During the meeting, plans and options for mortgage will be the main discussion. Be sure to ask any questions or voice any concerns while you’re there!

2. Find the Perfect Agent

You and your real estate agent are going to be working together on this, so you’ll want someone you trust. Passion and great reviews are one place to start! Struggling to find the one? Check out our great team here, we won’t let you down! 

The most common qualification looked for in an agent is experience, no doubt, but Forbes recommends looking at the person more. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your agent so it’s important that you’ll get along. New agents also have lots of great energy they are willing to give! Reputation and loyalty are built through clients, so don’t be scared to give the new guy or gal a shot! 

One other thing to consider when selecting an agent is location. Are they from Erie? Having prior knowledge of the area will allow them to give the best advice possible! From having great connections to knowing desirable neighborhoods offhand, local is always a great choice.

3. Work with your Agent to Get your Dream Home 

Whether it be through email or in person, communication is key! Communicating with your agents about what you want in a house ensures you don’t settle. Have a talk about the best way and time to get ahold of each other are so you aren’t left on delivered for days!

 The next big step to take with your agent is seeing the homes in person! Showings are essential before considering a home! After you get a feel and cement your love for your new home, it’s smooth sailing, beside paperwork of course. Yuck. Before making an offer, of course there are some things you need to get in order. Make sure that you have a few back ups just in case this home isn’t the one. 

4. Make an Offer!

Finally found the one? Let’s get that offer out there! Although it may sound intimidating, we tried our best to break it down to the basics. First things first, meet with your agent to come up with the best offer on the home. The local market, the condition of the house, and your budget are all huge factors to take into consideration. 

Your real estate agent will then take your offer to the seller, and from there they will either accept it, deny it, or send a counter offer. This part can be a little tricky, but don’t let a few negotiations get your hopes down. Worst comes to worst, look how much experience you’ve gained for next time!

Keep inspections in mind. If the offer is accepted, this will be a major factor in buying a home! After the inspections are done, you can gauge the real cost and responsibility that comes along with the home. Sometimes, sellers will even agree to make some of the repairs themselves!

Keep in mind that now is not the time for a new car or a shopping spree, you need to keep your finances secure, especially if there’s a surprise. It is highly recommended to leave your money untouched for a few months until the closing!

5. Pop some Bubbly, and enjoy your new #HappyHouse! 

Once finances, paperwork, and negotiations are in order, it’s time for closing day! Signing and reading, then signing some more sounds easy, but it can be exhausting! After the closing, celebrate your success! Throw a housewarming party, go to a fancy restaurant, or post it on Facebook, who cares? You did it!