Looking for a new home

Linda Ealy
by Linda Ealy
What do you look for when buying your first home?
  4 answers
  • 3po3 3po3 on Aug 08, 2012
    Start with your budget. This is a good little worksheet to give you a rough idea of how much house you can afford: http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/houseafford/houseafford.html Then make a list of your "must-have" items, your "must not have" items and other wants and needs. From there, you can start narrowing down your desired neighborhood, etc. Also, I am generally not a fan of the "For Dummies" books, but I found the "Homebuying for Dummies" book invaluable when I was buying my first home a couple of years ago. Good luck, Linda.
  • That's right Steve - check your credit and talk to a mortgage broker to see how much you can spend and get approved for first before you begin your search. Be sure to make a list of monthly expenses as well especially if considering a town home or condo that is in a community that has a homeowners association. Hope this helps and good luck in the purchase of your first home.
  • Linda Ealy Linda Ealy on Aug 10, 2012
    Thanks all for the information I will be using the link that Steve G suggested and talking to my realtor.
  • 3po3 3po3 on Aug 10, 2012
    Good luck, Linda. And I may have forgotten the most important thing: don't rush it or let yourself get overwhelmed. It's kind of a scary and nerve-wracking process, and for obvious reasons your realtor and mortgage people, etc., will try to rush you to make decisions. It's a really important decision so make sure you have found the right place and the right deal for you.