Guide to Buying a Home

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• Step 1: Checking your credit score Before getting pre-approved for a mortgage, you should check your own credit report and score.
• Step 2: What price home can you afford? First determine what kind of mortgage you can afford. That will help determine what price house you can afford.
• Step 3: Mortgage pre-approval Mortgage pre-approval not only helps you understand your financial limit, but can also give you an advantage over other buyers not pre-approved.
• Step 4: Finding a real estate agent Find a real estate agent who is familiar with the area where you are looking to buy.
• Step 5: Finding the perfect home Be clear with your real estate agent about what you are looking for in the perfect home.
• Step 6: Making an offer on a home Keep these tips in mind when making an offer on your next home.
• Step 7: Finding the right mortgage Understanding the pros and cons of the various types of loans available will help in finding the mortgage that is right for you.
• Step 8: Lock your rate and points Understand what locking your interest rate and points means. Knowing when and for how long to lock is an important part of the loan process.
• Step 9: Home inspection and appraisal Making an offer contingent on your prospective home passing an inspection can save you thousands of dollars in repairs later. Your lender will almost certainly require an appraisal to get a mortgage.
• Step 10: Home closing procedure Be prepared at closing. Learn about the final walk-through in the 24 hours before closing as well as the home closing procedure itself.