Quick Tips for Simplifying Your House Hunting Efforts

Spring is just around the corner, and many homeowners are starting to consider their next move. Although this is an exciting time, house hunting can be a meticulous, lengthy, and overwhelming task. To ensure you’re maximizing your time and energy, we’re going to discuss a few tips that will help you organize your hunt and minimize stress.

Think about the purpose of a grocery list. They are used to act as a guide at the grocery store, ensuring that you don’t forget anything. The same concept can apply to house hunting. Creating a list of amenities and features will help filter your search. This will give you a clear understanding of your wants and needs before the search begins. In most cases, it’s rare that a home will check each box, especially if you aren’t building a home from scratch. If this is the case, try prioritizing your check boxes. Rank your requirements from most important to least important, and figure out which areas you can be flexible in. Included on this checklist should be things like location, number of bedrooms, location , price, etc.

Think of this like going to a doctor’s appointment. In order to ensure the appointment goes smoothly, it’s important to come prepared with your medical records and intake forms. Failure to do so might slow down the appointment and require the doctor to hunt down the information. The same case stands true for buying a home. The more organized you can be with your paperwork ahead of time, the more likely it is that the process will run smoothly. The sooner you start the process, the sooner the lender will be able to pre-approve you for a loan. Getting ahead in this step will give you an idea of how much a lender is willing to loan you. This will prevent you from looking at home’s outside of your price range, and it’ll show that you are serious about the buying process.

Once you have your priorities in order and have been pre-approved for a loan, it’s time to start your research. Luckily, we live in a time where technology makes it easier and more efficient to house hunt. If you’re house hunting long distance, check to see if a virtual tour is provided. You can do the same locally, and pop into the home should you need a second look. Use those check boxes on your list to filter your search, so you can avoid homes that don’t meet your requirements. Also, utilize your network! While you do all the research in the world about neighborhoods, school districts, etc., it’s nice to hear it from someone who’s living it. There are tons of housing related Facebook groups, where locals can provide first-hand information that your searches would not have provided. We also recommend getting inspections out of the way. This will ensure you don’t have to factor in any additional costs.

With over 30 years of experience, Ken can help you turn your mortgage goals into reality. We are licensed in Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida. Visit our FAQ page for more info, and contact us today.

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