Many people dream of buying a house for years—or even decades—before they actually begin the process. You may have considered how many bedrooms you want, what your neighborhood should be like, and what lawn gnome you’ll have in your front garden.
However, there’s more to a home purchase than picking your favorite listing and moving in. It’s important to understand all the steps of buying a house, as well as what to look for when buying, what questions to ask, understand the hidden costs, and how to close on it.
The following tips will guide you through the home buying process in Missouri, and walk you through the process easily and responsibly.
Know your credit score
Your credit score is one of the biggest factors in what your loan terms will be. Know your score before you ever try to get a loan, and take the time to repair it if it is lower than 700. A good score which leads to a low-interest rate can save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. See how to raise your credit score to get better loan terms.
Research the local market
Long before you actually put an offer on a home, you should be monitoring the condition of the market in the area where you will be buying. Pay special attention to the length of time that most homes in your price range stay on the market and if there are any big shifts in the asking price.
Partnering with any local realtor can help you understand these key data points.
Have a lender pre-approve you before shopping.
What to do before buying a house includes getting pre-approved. In fact, it is one of the most important parts of the home buying process! Pre-approval means you should be able to get the loan as long as nothing changes about your financial situation or your credit score.
Work with a skilled Realtor that knows your area.
Every neighborhood has its unique qualities that you want to be aware of before you buy. An agent that is well-informed about the area will also know what homes there are worth, which will help you avoid overpaying for a property.
Hiring a successful real estate agent is the first step to take once you make the decision to put your home on the market. They will serve as the main point of contact for both you and potential buyers by scheduling showings, crafting your listing, and marketing your property.
Homes sold without a real estate agent usually go for thousands of dollars less than if they were sold by an experienced agent. The reason is that selling your home without an agent is risky, time-consuming, and just plain hard work. If you don’t know what you’re doing you set yourself at a huge disadvantage.
Our realtors proudly serve the following towns and surrounding areas in Missouri including Joplin, Carthage, Neosho, Lamar, and Nevada. In Kansas, we serve Pittsburg, Galena, Baxter Springs, Columbus, and Riverton. Read more about Charles Burt Realtors and see the many ways that we can help you, or browse the website and explore all of the services that we provide!