Be realistic. It’s OK to be picky, but don’t be unrealistic with your expectations. There’s no such thing as a perfect home. Use your list of priorities as a guide to evaluate each property.
Get your finances in order. Talk to a lender and get prequalified for a mortgage. They will review your credit report and be sure you have enough money to cover your down payment and closing costs. This will save you the heartache later of falling in love with a house you can’t afford. Also you CAN NOT submit an offer on many of the bank owned Repos unless you have a prequalification letter, so get prequalified before you start looking for a home.
Don’t ask too many people for opinions. It will drive you crazy especially when they give advise based on something that happened to someone they knew a long time ago! Select one or two people to turn to if you feel you need a second opinion, but be ready to make the final decision on your own.
Decide your moving timeline. When is your lease up? When do you expect to close on your house? These and other factors will help you determine when you should move. Do you want to move during the school year or after school has started?
Think long term. Are you looking for a starter house with plans to move up in a few years, or do you hope to stay in this home for a longer period? This decision may dictate what type of home you’ll buy as well as the type of mortgage terms that will best suit you.
Insist on a home inspection. JoAnn will almost insist that you get a home inspection, so ask her about what they cost and what they will do during a home inspection, so you understand the process.
Get help from JoAnn. With over 30 years of selling and listing homes she know so much information that only her years of experience could have taught her. She will help you every step of the way.