Home Buying Checklist

Buying a home can be a really complicated process, and sometimes, it may not even be immediately clear what the steps are for getting the home of your dreams. Here at Legacy Realty Group, our knowledgeable team has compiled a resource on how you can get started with purchasing your next property. Read on to learn more about the home-buying process and the reliable home buying checklist that we have designed.

Find your Mortgage

The first step of buying a home is to get a sense of what you are looking for and what you can reasonably afford. To be able to do so, begin with understanding your finances and setting a clear budget.   This can involve using home affordability calculators just to get started, but you will want to work with a lender early on to confirm what you can afford!   Not only will this give you a better sense of your own net worth, but it will also prepare you for the possible next step of applying for a mortgage or a loan. This way, you get a lender’s commitment that they will support in helping you finance your property purchase up to a certain limit. Having pre-approval ensures high certainty and fewer surprises when you finally find the house you like.

House Hunting

The last step before getting into the market is making sure that you’re aware of what the current housing market is like. This means understanding the cost of homes, the neighborhoods you like, and whether or not there is currently higher or lower demand for new properties.  Then the fun part is house shopping!  We will cover every area where you are interested, and visit each home that meets your criteria.  The

Make an Offer

Once you have found a home you like, we recommend working with a home sales expert such as Legacy Realty Group to make an offer. While you should familiarize yourself with the process regardless, working with a home sales expert ensures that you can tap into their expertise to get a fair price while helping you get a seller’s acceptance. More importantly, they can also help with securing inspection services, understanding your contractual liabilities, and more.

Under Contract

After this, the next step is generally to have the property inspected and appraised. You will either source for an appraiser yourself or, more commonly, have one chosen by your lender.  Your real estate agent should have several recommendations of home inspectors for your to choose from, based on your needs.  With this information, you can then get quotes for the title and home insurance, as well as a home warranty.
Getting the insurance and warranty at the point of buying the house ensures that you and the seller are well protected going into this agreement should any appliance or parts of the property require unexpected maintenance or repairs.

Closing and After

The final step is to close on the house; all you’ll need to do moving forward is get ready to move in! This generally includes arranging for movers, transferring utilities, setting up home security, and finding the relevant contractors and services to make the home your own.

Why Choose Legacy Realty Group?

Some people might choose to complete this whole process themselves without an agent. However, when you choose to work with Legacy Realty Group, you can be sure that you’ll have a comparably smoother and more stress-free process. There will be no need to spend late nights researching your next steps - all you’ll need to do is ask our team!