1. 列一张清单，列出“必须拥有”、“最好拥有”和“不能拥有”

首先列出你希望家里拥有的每个房间. Then, write out the features you want for each room as well as the property as a whole. Deal breakers and must-haves make it easy to filter out homes that just won't work, 而“锦上添花”可以帮助你在最后的竞争者中做出选择.

2. 画出你预算的全貌

这可不像攒钱付首付款那么简单. In addition to the listing price, it's important to assess the hidden costs of buying a home. 这些成本很快就会累积起来, 所以预算结案费用是至关重要的, 验房费, 房产税, 房产保险, 维护, 搬家费用. Most mortgage lenders also require cash reserves that can be used to help pay for housing 费用 if 你的 收入 stops for any reason.

One of the easiest ways to determine 你的 budget is to have a Loan Officer walk you through the numbers. They can answer any questions you may have and work with you to create a plan based on 你的 goals, 收入, 费用, 和债务. 如果你想和加州海岸信贷员进行韦德体育开户咨询, 您可以拨打877-495-1600或发送电子邮件至 RealEstateLoanOfficer@3600151.com.

3. 一旦你被预先批准，就不要负债累累

It’s a good idea to get a mortgage Pre-Approval Letter before jumping into home hunting. This goes hand-in-hand with determining 你的 budget as a pre-approval will let you know the exact, 贷款人可以提供给你的最高贷款金额. 这也意味着卖家应该认真对待你. In a competitive market most sellers won’t even consider an offer if the buyer hasn’t been pre-approved.

一般, pre-approvals are good for 90 days because that’s how long it takes for the credit report to expire. If you have a pre-approval that’s going to expire don’t worry, because it’s usually easy to extend. Be aware that 你的 approval amount can be affected by the following factors:

• 如果利率上升或下降
• 如果你改变了你想买的房产类型
• 改变你的债务
• 换工作

4. 调查你当地的住房市场

你会想想你未来的计划. 随着时间的推移，这个社区的价值可能会增加吗? 你的通勤会是什么样子? 像Zillow这样的网站可以帮助你寻找潜在的社区. 你可以深入了解学校, 犯罪率, 公共交通, 通过性和, 当然, 房价. 你可以试试Cal Coast的 Home Rewards搜索引擎 来比较南加州的房屋.

5. 选择合适的房地产经纪人

Buying a home usually involves a ton of negotiation— and the details can get tricky. A realtor can help you get the best possible terms and avoid costly deadlines. When you’re faced with a 10-page purchase agreement written in legal talk you’ll be glad to have a seasoned professional on 你的 side. 但是要小心! 与任何行业一样，有很多不合格的房地产经纪人.

许多代理商(甚至是一些好代理商)!) require you to sign a contract that locks you into working with them and only them. Before signing anything check the agent’s online reviews and pay close attention to whether they seem to care about getting you into the right home, 或者随便一个家.

You can get connected with a local agent via Cal Coast’s Home Rewards program. 直接点击下面的链接并选择现在注册. 一旦你找到了你喜欢的家, you'll create an account (takes 30 seconds) and be paired with a trusted agent.

6. 不要害怕提交初始报价，或者一次提交多个报价

Navigating the real estate world can be scary and there’s a lot of misleading information out there. 通常, new home buyers are told they need to be 100% committed to a purchase before submitting an initial offer. While this may benefit the seller it’s likely not the best advice for first-time homebuyers. 在竞争激烈的房地产市场, you should be prepared to submit multiple offers before getting chosen by a seller to proceed with the sale process.

这是事情变得严肃起来的时候. 一旦卖家接受了你的初始报价, you’ll need to pay an earnest money deposit— also known as a “good faith deposit”— to move forward. 通常, you’ll only have a few days to deposit the earnest funds which are typically 1-3% of the total home price. 如果您选择不支付定金, 你可以一分钱都不损失地放弃这笔交易. If the sale does go through that deposit will go towards 你的 down payment.

7. 在支付房屋检查费用之前，你是否应该尽职调查

在成交新房子之前, you should absolutely get a professional home inspection from a highly rated and reputable company. 但房屋检查可能会很昂贵, and you might save time and money with a little bit of investigative work. Also, there’s factors you should consider that a home inspection will not cover. 以下是需要检查的几件事:

• 有霉菌或水损坏的迹象
• 不平整的地基，或车道或车库的大裂缝
• 手机服务
• 煤气管道(如果你喜欢用煤气炉做饭)
• 高峰时段交通情况
• 业主协会费用和章程
• 学区(如果你有孩子或计划有孩子)
• 性侵犯者

Listing agents want to give their clients the best chance of selling their home for the highest price, 这可能导致问题被掩盖起来. It’s 你的 job to bring concerning factors to light so you can make an informed decision. 作为一个新房主，你不希望有任何惊喜.

8. 跳出固有思维——考虑一下短售房和丧失抵押品赎回权

然而这个选择并不适合所有人, these homes often have highly motivated sellers and can be less expensive than other properties on the market. 问题? 寻找这些机会可能需要一些额外的工作. 此外，要准备一个比平时更长的销售过程.