The whole point of your mortgage is to help you find and pay for the house of your dreams, but how exactly do you find the perfect house?
Some people look - well, quite literally: they go out and look. They find neighborhoods that they like and drive around, looking for For Sale signs, looking for Open House signs, imagining themselves parking in that garage, talking a walk to that park.
It's great fun, don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that you shouldn't. And I'm also willing to bet that once you start walking inside all these houses, imagining what you'd do with this room or that room, thinking about how great Aunt Cathy's sideboard would look over there, you're not thinking of any of the factors that started you on you house hunt.
The reality is that after a few days-or weeks-of this kind of activity, you're going to fall in love. Not only are you going to fall in love, but you're going to fall in love with the Wrong House. And, just as happens when you fall for the Wrong Man or the Wrong Woman, heartache is lying ahead of you.
We're the mortgage people, the realists in this journey on which you've embarked, and we strongly suggest that you not start by driving around and looking.
First of all, in a scenario like that one, you are very likely to overestimate what your money can buy. Heartache . Secondly, you're looking at the wrong features, the lovely walkway and the really nice finishing touches in the Great Room-the sorts of things you could and should do yourself-instead of focusing on your requirements. Heartache . Moreover, the same house in one town-or even on one side of town-can be priced dramatically differently in the next town over, or the other side of the same town. Heartache
When you decide to locate and purchase a home, you need to think with your head and not your heart. Let's face it, whatever house you eventually do buy, you'll be able to make it your own, put your own unique mark on it, furnish and decorate it so that it's something you will fall in love with.
So.... Instead of aimlessly driving around looking at houses that in all probability aren't going to work for you, it's probably a good idea to start looking for a house in a systematic manner. And that means starting with the money.
Many people start with a real estate agent or Realtor, and that's certainly the usual way to do it. But really it's starting backwards: your real estate agent can help you best when he or she knows exactly what you can afford, and doesn't waste her time, your time, or - again - your heartache showing you properties that are inappropriate.
So start with the mortgage. Getting preapproved for a mortgage with someone who can help you through the entire process means having a context in which to place your dreams. It means being able to look within your means and discover diamonds in the rough you might not have considered otherwise.
Going into a real estate office with a preapproval in hand is best for everybody involved. Your real estate agent knows that the sale is a real possibility, as you have the means on hand to purchase an appropriate property. You know that you won't be looking at dream houses that you wouldn't be able to afford in a hundred years. And your mortgage advisor knows that you've been matched up with the best possible financing for your needs.
A final note: your mortgage advisor and your real estate agent are your partners in this process. Be candid with them. Tell them everything that could remotely affect your purchase of a home. Just as your mortgage specialist won't try to force you into a one-size-fits-all financing situation, your real estate agent won't try to sell you the first house she shows you, either. They both want you to come out of the experience secure, happy, and knowing that you're in the best possible place.
So do a few drive-bys and look at houses if that gets you in the mood. But do your homework, and rely on คอนโด the professionals whose job it is to get you into the Right House.
You won't regret it!
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