Searching for a home can be exciting and nerve racking all at the same time! With an organized house buying plan, you can minimize a great deal of the emotional impact, time and energy expended. If you determine your buying capacity, your wants and needs, and having an organized search plan, your chances of a stress-free experience are much better.

Tips to Find the Home for You

1.     When the decision to buy a home has been made, take the time to prepare before you go on your house hunt. Go to www.BuySalt LakeCityHomes.com and www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com for information on the home buying process. It is tempting to rush out and look at houses, but to do so without preparation can be both disastrous and expensive.

2.     Get your financial house in order.  This will save you an enormous amount of time, aggravation and heartache. In short, get a credit report, pay bills on time, put together documents you will need for the lender - Check stubs, tax returns, credit history, and records of supplemental income.  Do not buy a big ticket item like a car before applying for a home loan.

3.     Determine what a comfortable monthly payment is considering your current expenses.

4.     Be sure to get "preapproved" for a home loan. The sellers of any home will be looking for your "preapproval" and you will have the "peace of mind" of knowing that a lender has approved you.   

5.     Get familiar with the type of housing you are attracted to.

6.     Determine your "wants and needs" - what is most important in a home like number of bedrooms, style, lot size, etc...

7.     Note of any items that you don't want in a house. This can be just as important as knowing what you do want in a home.

8.     Decide on your desired location (schools, work, public transportation, etc.)

9.     Familiarize yourself with the lending process.

10.  Choose a  real estate agent  that you feel comfortable with and who understands your needs. Be completely aware of the "Agency" issue. If you look for houses before you have your own Agent, you may not have the representation you want. Be sure to check on their experience, if  they are full-time, check their references.

11.  Don't just buy a home for your present needs. Make sure to take into account what your life will be like in the near future...additional children, a pet, family living with you.

12.  As you are looking, take notes and maybe even use a scorecard to compare homes. A scorecard is a great tool when it comes time for comparisons (and for remembering which home had which features!)

13.  Get familiar with the inspection process--especially the personal inspection aspect, so that you can weed out unacceptable houses quickly.

14.  Maintain your perspective--and your cool! You may find an acceptable house on the first day--or the tenth. The important thing is to get the home that is best for you!

Go to the Salt Lake City, Utah Real Estate Resource Center for more information on Salt lake City and the local real estate market.  Or fill out the form below and I will get right back to you with the requested information.

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