5 Simple Steps towards Home Buying
Fall in Florida is an opportune time for home buying. Not only is the weather perfect for tours and showings, but purchasing a home before the end of the year allows homebuyers to qualify for money-saving Homestead Exemptions and other tax benefits.
As full-service real estate professionals, we help customers with the entire home buying process, whether you are looking for a Clearwater condo or a big house in Carrollwood. Before making any offers or performing any home inspections, however, there are several things to consider. Here are simple tips and steps to take before buying your new home:
- Rationalize Your Needs: The first thing to do is examine your needs, desires, and finances. In addition to understanding your budget, we recommend you do some general research around the Greater Tampa Bay area. This will give you a basic sense of what’s out there and where to focus your goals. If home prices seem high for what you want, consider different areas of town or consider downsizing to open up your options to a wider selection. Downsizing efforts could also help you save money for a down payment. You may choose to host a garage sale or sell unneeded items for extra cash.
- Enlist Your Experts: Leverage the help of a professional Realtor to navigate your buying process and perhaps help you also sell your current property. Sure, you might have done your research, but Realtors have leading-edge tools to fine-tune your search list and narrow down to locations that will meet all of your needs. Once you find your dream home, your Realtor will also negotiate the best possible price and help you handle the paperwork and legalities of buying a home. Importantly, we can also align you with financial experts, brokers, or a VA loan specialist if you are veteran.
- Monitor Your Money: Much like your Realtor, a mortgage expert is essential for optimizing a cost-effective buying process. A mortgage expert can help guide you through the loan approval process, monitor interest rates, and explain the best possible financing options and programs. Keep steady employment and maintain comprehensive financial records so that an appropriate home-buying budget can be determined. You’ll want to build sufficient savings for a down payment (traditionally 20% of purchase price) and sustain an acceptable credit score to secure the best possible interest rates.
- Narrow Your Neighborhoods: Choosing the right neighborhood is as important as finding the right home. One size will not fit all when choosing a neighborhood. In the Greater Tampa Bay area, we have a selection of homes in metro areas, suburbs, beach towns, and rural areas. Simply choose the best community for your lifestyle.
- Streamline Your Search: Once you’ve aligned with experts, determined a budget, and narrowed your options – you’re ready for a successful search. In addition to providing you information on current listings and options, we can help you easily schedule showings and tour the right homes for you. By taking all of these necessary steps, you could be locking in the best possible price and closing on your dream home in no time.
Our real estate team strives to provide a quick, easy, streamlined real estate process for our customers. Call Dick and Karla Nielsen at 813-294-5786 for expert advice on downsizing, investing, home buying, and home selling.
