5 Tips for Simplifying the Home Buying Process

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Buying a home is a huge investment and the buying process can be very confusing—especially if you’re buying your first home. However, buying a home doesn't have to be challenging. By understanding a few key tips, the whole home buying process can run smoothly and efficiently.

Understand Your Needs

Even before you start looking at houses to buy, you should clearly understand your needs. The last thing you would want to happen would be to regret your purchase decision down the road. That being said, it’s extremely vital to do a lot of homework before even browsing for your new home. Think about your budget, lifestyle, future plans and anything else that relates to buying a new residence. This new home is an investment that can be with you for a very long time; therefore, you must make educated decisions throughout the whole home buying process.

Have a Hefty Saving Fund Ready

When buying a home, it’s very smart to put down a solid down payment. Doing this can help to limit the amount of interest you’ll pay over time, including possible lower mortgage insurance. While many lenders will permit a low down payment, it’s a good idea to put down at least 20%. However, this can be a hefty fee. In fact, even a 5% down payment on a $200,000 home is still $10,000. That being said, you’ll need a big chunk of savings in order to have an appropriate down payment. Be sure to start saving early and don’t pull the trigger on buying a home if your savings isn’t sufficient.

Explore Down Payment and Mortgage Options

There are many stressful factors in the home buying process, but the money involved tends to be the most troubling aspect. However, by knowing the many options you have when it comes to the down payment and mortgage, you can rest easy knowing that you made great decisions when it comes to financing your home. If you’re trying to come up with a solid down payment, you may want to try these options:

Understand Your Budget

Understanding the budget is where many home shoppers fail. They may find a home that they can afford, but they don’t account for the unfortunate instances that can happen during home ownership. Things like a broken dishwasher, plumbing issues or water damage are all situations that can happen, and many of these scenarios can cost a great deal of money. That being said, be sure to look at properties that cost less than what you’re approved for.

Don’t Focus On Market Timing

Many home shoppers will continue to monitor the real estate market until they feel like the market has tipped in their favor. While some believe this is a very effective tactic, it isn’t a very intuitive move. That’s because it's impossible to anticipate the housing market. Prices will go up or down at any time, and it’s extremely difficult to know what will happen on any given day. So when you find that perfect home, pull the trigger and go for it—no matter where the market stands.