The Road to Buy Your Home Starts Here!

  • Partner with an Agent

  • Speak to our Mortgage Expert and Get Pre-Approved

  • Find Your New Home

  • Make and Offer and Negotiate

  • When an Offer is Accepted, you are Under Contract

  • Prepare for Closing: Finalize Paperwork and Funding

  • CLOSING DAY

FINANCIAL CHECKLIST

CLOSING COSTS
Closing fees include things like the attorney's fee, survey fees, and document preparation fees.

EARNEST MONEY
Earnest money is an upfront deposit that gets applied to your down payment or closing costs.

MAINTENANCE
It's suggested that homeowners put aside money to cover maintenance from lawn equipment to household tools.

DOWN PAYMENT
Your down payment is the money you pay at closing. It's the difference between your mortgage amount and your purchase price of your home.

APPLIANCES/FURNISHINGS
When budgeting for your new home,remember to set money aside for appliances and furnishes that you will want to purchase upon closing.

INSURANCE
Depending on your loan program and down payment amount, you may pay mortgage insurance. Homeowners insurance is also required.

MAINTENANCE
It's suggested that homeowners put aside money to cover maintenance from lawn equipment to household tools.

Pre-Qualified vs. Pre-Approved
What does it mean?

To be pre-approved, the lender will pull your credit and ask you for documentation to verify your finances. Before making an offer on a house, it is best to get pre-approved to show sellers your offer is serious and that a lender has already approved you for enough money to purchase the home.

In order to be pre-qualified, a lender may or may not check your credit score and won't require documentation, only going off what you tell them. This will give you an idea of what you could qualify for, but when you're serious about buying, you'll need to get pre-approved.

Before you begin your search for the perfect home, work on this checklist that will make all the difference as you look at property listings…

NEEDS vs WANTS vs MUST-HAVE’S

MUST-HAVE’S: These are your non-negotiable items or home characteristics. Look for these first…As you are looking at house listings, be sure these must-have’s are present. If not, keep looking.

NEEDS: These items are high on your priority list, but more negotiable than your must-have items. For example, if a home that interests you does not have quite enough kitchen cabinet space, you can ask yourself if remodeling is an option in the future.

WANTS: This is the category with the most flexibility. Suppose you are a fan of granite counter-tops and high ceilings. If you find a home that has everything else on your Must-Have and Needs checklists, then these may be items that you are willing to live without at this time.