Spring into a New Home

Spring is a great time to start searching for a new home. April kicks off the home buying season, but the trick is being ready to buy when you find the perfect house. In today’s market homes go quickly, especially in locations where inventory is low. To get ahead of your competition, follow these five simple steps.

Get preapproved. It’s nice to know what your budget is before the house hunting begins. Getting preapproved gives you a starting point, plus it can often give you an edge over the competition when the seller has received several offers.

Have a checklist. Before visiting any potential properties, have a basic pros and cons checklist in place. How many bedrooms do you need and is the property in your desired neighborhood? After each visit, think about what you liked and didn’t like based on your list.

Pick a Realtor^®. It takes a lot of time and effort when looking for the perfect house. A qualified Realtor® can help you speed up the process with professional insight and search tools that are not available to the general public.

Don’t be afraid of a little DIY. Focus on the quality and features of a home. Shag carpet and fuchsia painted bedrooms can easily be changed. With a little work, you can make it the home of your dreams.

Search off the beaten path. If you’re having a hard time finding a home in your desired neighborhood, broaden your scope and you could get more bang for your buck.

As you can see, there’s a lot to consider before purchasing a home. Contact one of our mortgage professionals today for information on preapprovals or finding a mortgage product that works best for you. Call 800-521-9653 or send an email to mortgageservices@southeastfinancial.org.