9 Steps to Buying a Home

9 Steps To Buy Stuart Real Estate

With a little planning ahead of time, purchasing a home isn’t very complex, but the event is stressful for a lot of people. There’s no one “right” way to buy a house. The exact steps may vary depending on where you live and your personal situation. So you’ll know exactly what to expect, we like to supply our buyers with an overview of the whole deal. Below are our nine steps to buying a home.

Step 1 – Make the Decision to Buy
Step 2 – Find a Real Estate Professional for Guidance
Step 3 – Pre-Qualification
Step 4 – Begin House Hunting
Step 5 – Make an Offer and Sign a Purchase Contract
Step 6 – Select and Apply For a Mortgage
Step 7 – Final Walk-Through
Step 8 – Close the Deal
Step 9 – Move In

Step 1: Make the Decision to Buy

It seems obvious, but the first step in buying a Stuart real estate home for sale, is by making the decision to even buy in the first place. Consider reasons why you want a Treasure Coast Florida house and write them down. Determine how long you want to live there and question yourself on whether buying a home still makes financial sense? Can you afford a Stuart or Port St Lucie house for sale that will meet your list of requirements? A good rule of thumb to know is that your mortgage payment should not exceed 1/3 of your net monthly income.

Given the price range, decide what kind of Treasure Coast home for sale you want and need. For instance, will your choice be a Stuart home, or maybe a better choice would be a Hutchinson Island Beach condo. Your reasoning will depend upon its size, location, special features (such as fireplace or fence), etc. Also, consider school districts and other factors important to you and your family. Keep in mind, buying Hutchinson Island Real Estate is an investment and consider what will make your Treasure Coast home for sale attractive to purchasers when you’re ready to sell?

Like many people, you may put owning your own home at the top of your wish list. First, there’s the emotional satisfaction of being a home owner and there are usually financial rewards as well. But buying is a big commitment. You’ll want to be sure you’re ready to make it.

Step 2: Seek Professional Real Estate Guidance

Contact one of our family of realtors to help with your search. You’ll receive valuable South Florida oceanfront home buying advice and information on the current housing market as well financial advice. Make sure you are comfortable working alongside that Stuart real estate agent, whom will answer your questions and help you find a property that meets your specifications.

Our Stuart family of real estate professionals will hear the reasons you want to buy a house and your plans for the future. We’ll talk about neighborhoods, schools, economic factors liable to affect the market today and tomorrow, as well as how you would like your house and neighborhood to grow with you.

Step 3: Pre-Qualification

Getting qualified before you apply for a loan can help you understand how much you can borrow. When buying a house, you may get pre-qualified or pre-approved. You can typically get pre-qualified over the phone or on the Internet in a few minutes. When you’re ready, request our pre-qualification form.

A pre-approval is a more rigorous process, which includes verification of your credit, income, assets and liabilities. It is highly recommended you get pre-approved before you start looking for a house. This means the lender or mortgage broker will informally qualify you for a loan by getting basic information on your income, debts and credit. Getting pre-approved before you apply for a loan can help you find out the maximum house you can buy, so you don’t waste time looking for properties you cannot afford. It also puts you in a stronger position when negotiating with the seller because the seller knows your loan is already approved. This helps you close quickly, since your loan is already approved. Read our article about mortgages to learn more of your options.

Step 4: Begin House Hunting

Perform a search of available Treasure Coast houses and condos from Fort Pierce to Palm Beach Gardens through AmPro Realty’s signature property search on this website.

Our family of real estate professionals will point out positive features and negative features and ask what you like and what you don’t like. When you find a Stuart or Vero Beach home you like, carefully give it your own personal inspection. Amend your “wish list” as you tour properties as some things will become more important and others less important. You will also want to tour the local Stuart neighborhoods and perhaps see a house at different times of day or on weekends to check traffic patterns and other amenities that may affect your decision.

Step 5: Make an Offer and Sign a Purchase Contract

Once you find the Stuart house or condo you’re comfortable with, make an offer to purchase the Stuart home and include giving an “earnest money” deposit to the seller, which shows you’re serious. You should make sure the offer allows you to get your money back if a professional inspection reveals problems with the house, or if you aren’t able to get approved for a mortgage.

If your offer is accepted (sometimes with contingencies), determine a date you wish to close and have the house inspected to ensure there’s nothing seriously wrong with the property. Also, line up homeowner’s insurance with your insurance company to protect yourself against any unforeseen circumstances.

Step 6: Select and apply for a mortgage

Mortgage interest rates, fees and other terms can vary widely. Let a mortgage consultant help you to research what is available and when you have selected the mortgage terms that are right for you, apply for a mortgage loan at a bank or other lending institution. Notify your mortgage lender that you’ve found a property so they can begin the appraisal and title process, and lock in your interest rate.

Your mortgage lender will send you a “Good Faith Estimate” at the time the loan application is submitted to the lender, which shows your monthly mortgage payments, closing costs and estimated cash needed for closing. The title company will notify you of the time and date you close on your home, and the items you’ll need to bring to closing.

Step 7: Final Walk-Through

A day or two before closing, do a final walk-through of the property to make sure there are no new problems. This may be a good time to have the seller show you how to operate major systems and appliances.

Notify your phone company, utilities including water and sewer, a moving company, the post office, newspaper and magazines, friends and family. Find out more on our Relocating and Moving section.

Step 8: Close the Deal

Close the loan (also called “Loan Settlement”). This is also when you make the rest of your down payment, pay loan fees, sign all necessary legal documents, and get the keys to your new home.

Step 9: Move In

Congratulations! It’s time to relocate and move into your new Palm Beach County or Treasure Coast of Florida house and make it your home. Enjoy this exciting time.