Congrats on deciding to be a home owner! It’s an exciting and sometimes scary step, and after the decision is made it can be intimidating to know what to do next. It’s always a good idea to first visit a financial institution and go over the numbers and proceed through the pre-approval process. Once that is done it’s time to decide what it is that you want. Think of your preferences on geographical area, number of bedrooms, bathrooms maybe preferred style of house.
I always tell people, to keep your mind open because many times I’ve seen people fall in love with and buy what they thought they never would. Your criteria may change once you’ve explored what’s out there. The other piece of advice to keep in mind is, don’t look at homes above the price range you’re comfortable spending. It sets your expectations too high and sets you up for disappointment. Generally speaking, homes are priced at market value and it’s not reasonable to think that a seller will drop their price thousands and thousands of dollars because that’s where you want the price to be.
You can book showings through the listing agents, but it’s best to find an agent and go through the process with them. Ask friends and family who they’ve used, or go to open houses and meet agents and get a feel for personalities and who you feel you would be comfortable working with. This can be a long and daunting process, so it’s best to go through it with someone that can help guide you through it and has your best interest in mind. And a tid bit of info, etiquette in the real estate world is that you shouldn’t book a showing through the listing agent and then call up your agent to write the offer. We are loyal to our customers, and just ask for the same in return ;)
For a step by step guide to the full home buying process visit:
