As a first-time home buyer in the Pensacola area, the path to home-ownership can seem challenging and stressful, but it doesn't have to be.
Choosing the right team can make all the difference
Step Two:
Find and hire the Real Estate Agent to represent you.
Do you want to know what the best part is? (Well aside from finding the home you can’t live without). Your real estate agent is paid by the sellers (not you)!
Once you have me on your team, the real fun begins! I will help you navigate through the entire home-buying process, making sure you are staying informed every step of the way. We will first begin by setting up a custom search on the local MLS using your wish list (and must-haves). I will schedule and coordinate showings until you find “the one.” I will then thoroughly analyze data from homes in the area to help guide you through making an educated offer. Once the offer is accepted, I will manage the next phases of the transaction making sure it runs like a well-oiled machine.
At this point, it is imperative to NOT make any new large purchases, like a new car, or open new credit accounts. Doing so will possibly prevent you from getting a mortgage loan for the price range you were expecting.
Step One:
Get pre-approved from a local Florida mortgage lender.
You will need to know from Day 1 of your home search what exactly you can afford given your current income, savings, and expenses. This will also help me create a custom search of all active properties in the local MLS that meet your “must-haves” list.
You will also need this pre-approval letter in-hand when submitting an offer, so having this prior to looking will be an asset. As you may know, many homes in the South Florida area don’t stay on the market long, so having this pre-approval is important for many reasons.
I have partnerships with some amazing local lenders that have many buyer assistance programs, if needed. Using one of these lenders may make getting a mortgage pre-approval easier than it would with one of the larger commercial banks. Not to mention, they work when I work (and when we’re looking at homes) - which includes evenings and weekends!
There is a lot that goes into a single real estate transaction. It is important to choose somebody who will communicate promptly, is organized, has the skills to negotiate for you, and will simply just have your back.
“Don’t wait to buy real estate, buy real estate and wait.”
— T Harv Eker
