You may spend many years imagining what your dream home may look like, and the time has now come to take the first steps toward finding that perfect home. Decades ago, house hunting involved getting in the car and driving around different neighborhoods for many weekends to search for “for sale” signs in yards. The alternative to this was to wait for the Sunday newspaper to come out and to read through the many classified listings. Thankfully, the Internet has dramatically improved all stages of the home buying process. In fact, you can use the Internet in these important ways to save time and energy and to help you make a more informed decision.
Determine Your Price Range Online
One of the most important first steps to take when searching for a home is to determine your price range. You can begin this process by using on online affordability calculator. These calculators take into account your income as well as all of your expenses. Some people prefer to simply review their budget to determine a mortgage payment amount that is affordable. However, an affordability calculator takes the additional step of telling you what loan amount or sales price is affordable.
Get Prequalified
After you determine what mortgage payment you desire, you should apply online with a few home lenders. Keep in mind that the mortgage payment that is affordable for your budget may not be the same as what a lender prequalifies you for. On the other hand, your lender may prequalify you for a much larger mortgage payment than you are financially comfortable with. Understand that the factors that you use to determine your own personal affordability are different than what a lender uses to qualify you for a loan.
Search for Listings
By taking these two important steps online, you will be able to determine what your sales price range is. There are numerous websites that allow you to search for listings online, and the primary criteria that is needed to narrow down your search is the sales price range. Many of these listings websites have detailed search options as well. For example, you can narrow down your search by the size and age of the home, the zip code, the school district or other factors. Most listings have numerous color photos, and some even have a link to an online tour or a video tour.
Research Neighborhoods
Before you spend time touring homes in person, consider taking the extra step of researching neighborhoods online. Through online research, you can find crime statistics, school district data, details about new construction or development projects in the area, insurance rates, flood zones and more. You may even use the Internet during rush hour to determine how much traffic you will face driving to and from work each day from that particular location.
Find a Real Estate Agent
You can see that each of these steps will help you to find a wonderful home that is affordable for you to buy and that meets all of your needs. Before you can tour a home, you will need to find a real estate agent to work with. Many people assume that all real estate agents offer similar services. It is true that they can each write a contract for you and take you into different homes for a tour. However, some are much more skilled at negotiations, and they may have more local knowledge and experience. In addition, some agents are more responsive and focused on customer service than others are. Rather than reach out to the first real estate agent who you can find online, consider reading bios and reviews on independent websites. Your extra research in this area will help to ensure that you make a smart hiring decision.
Buying your dream home can be an exciting experience, and you may be eager to start walking through homes. However, you understandably want to enjoy the best possible outcome from this experience, and you want the buying process to be as hassle-free as possible. Numerous websites can be used to help you prepare for a wonderful home-buying experience. Begin walking through these steps to get your house hunting efforts off to a great start.
