Steps to buying your first home

Whether you are buying a home in Austin, TX or the surrounding areas The Policy Source is the place to go for all your insurance needs and even offer great advice. The Policy Sources even offers steps to buying your first home so you can avoid buying mistakes.

The first step is to research the real estate in the areas you are wanting to buy in. See how long the homes stay on the market in certain areas and check the housing trends. Then you should determine how much you can actually afford. Determine what your financial situation is and try not to choose a home that is more than three times their annual household income. Try to save for a down payment. Next, get pre-qualified and pre-approves for credit for a mortgage. This can be a tricky spot, just because a person gets approved for a certain amount does not mean they can really afford it, but that goes back to creating a budget. This step is important to see what your price range is before you start looking.

Then you can find the right real estate agent. You want one who is informed with the housing market and has knowledge of the home buying process. Once you and your realtor find a home you can make an offer. It is smart to check the plumbing, electrical, open windows and doors, traffic, and things that it is near. If these work for you then you can make an offer. Then you will need to get a home inspection to decide if anything needs to be fixed before closing. If things go well you can work with a mortgage banker to select the loan that is right for you.  

The lenders will set up the home to be appraised to make sure it is worth their investment and if so you can then coordinate the paperwork and close the sale. Don’t forget about insurance, so call The Policy Source in the Austin, TX area so we can get you the homeowner’s insurance coverage you need.