What are the steps in purchasing a home?

Answer 1

There are many steps in purchasing a home. Here are the main ones:

--You have to get financing and know how much you can afford. Usually you do this before selecting a home by getting pre-approved for a certain level of financing (what you can afford, or what you are comfortable with. Don't buy a home if you aren't comfortable with the level of debt. It is often better to buy smaller and pay it off sooner than to struggle at the very edge of what you can afford.) If possible, make sure you have a down payment ready for 20% of the purchase price. If you do, more loan options will be available to you.

--You have to select a home within your budget. This can be tough, depending on what you are looking for, and what your timeline is. Don't let a realtor rush you into buying something you aren't going to be satisfied with.

--You have to get a home inspection. The inspector should point out anything that might be wrong with the house, so that if it is serious, you can back out of the deal.

--The home has to be appraised, to make sure it is worth what you will be paying for it.

--The loan has to be officially approved. Even if you have a pre-approval, this isn't a sure thing. It depends on lots of things. Just make sure you don't lie about who will be living in the house, if you will be renting it out, etc. This might have tax repercussions if you aren't going to be living in it yourself, but if you get caught in a lie, you could be on the wrong side of the law.

--If all of the deadline dates go through smoothly, then there will be a closing, where everything is signed and the house becomes officially yours.