Buying a home and moving to a new place can be exciting…but it can also be stressful and frustrating. That’s why we’re here to help. We want to make the process of your move as smooth and comfortable as possible. To that end, it helps to know what you’re getting into.

Here are 10 Steps to the Home Buying Process

1. Research. Check out online listings as well as newspapers and magazines to get a feel for the housing market at the moment and how much you’ll likely have to pay for your needs. Better to have informed expectations going in than to try to guess and be disappointed.
2. Figure Out a Budget. Know what you can afford before you start your search. It’s generally recommended that you buy a house no more than 3-5 times your annual income, especially if you already have some amount of debt. We’re happy to help you get a sense of how far you can stretch your budget in the area you’d like to see.
3. Get Pre-Qualified for a Mortgage Loan (and Probably Pre-Approved). Your budget won’t be totally informed without first pre-qualifying for a loan. Your lender can give you a sense of what you qualify for and an estimate of the kind of loan you’ll receive. However, that number might change before you reach the approval process, so to be safe, it might be wise to get pre-approved before you start the house hunt, too.
4. Come See Us. Once you know what you can afford, contact Trish Havel to help you find you find the right home for your family in Bryan-College Station. We can discuss neighborhoods, schools in the area, amenities and entertainment, as well as the housing industry in the area. Having the support of an expert in the area is essential to a successful house hunt.
5. Start Hunting. Now the fun part begins. After we discuss your needs and your budget, we’ll help you find properties that fit the bill and schedule appointments so you can see the home. Keep a critical eye out for anything that might be a problem for you in the future. Some common issues are: noise from the street, faulty plumbing or electrical, or too far away from restaurants or public transportation. Eventually, we’ll help you find the perfect home in your area and then it will be time to…
6. Make an Offer. We’ll work with you to negotiate a fair price based on similar homes in the area and present that to the seller. The seller will probably make a counter offer, which you can accept or counter with your own offer. Eventually you’ll find a price that’s right for both of you and draft a contract, or move on until you find the right home.
7. Have a Home Inspection. A thorough home inspection is vital and, for that reason, we’ll work to ensure that the contract you sign with the seller includes a home inspection. Most purchases are contingent on the home inspection. A home inspector can warn you about any damage to the home and how much it will cost to repair. You should have the inspection within a few days of accepting the offer.
8. Select Your Loan. By now, you’ll know whether you’ve been approved for a loan and you can select the best loan to help you afford your new home’s mortgage. We can work with your lender by providing all of the property information they need. Once you have the loan, you’re good to close the deal.
9. Close the Sale. Sign all the paperwork, wait for your loan to be funded, and pay the seller. We’ll be with you through the whole process to help smooth out any hiccups. Once the seller is paid, the home is officially yours.
10. Move In. You did it! Now it’s time to move into your new home! But that doesn’t mean we won’t be able to help you from here. We’ll walk you through the process to set up your utilities, and if you ever have any questions, we’ll be here for your call or email.