My home-buying experience was a learning experience, as I was a first-time home buyer without knowledge of the home-buying process. It was both fun and challenging, and it involved a number of steps, beginning with getting pre-approved.
Before house hunting with my Realtor, I had to get pre-approved by a lender so that I knew what my home-buying budget was.
I provided copies of my tax returns and proof of income to a mortgage broker who was recommended by a friend. The lender guided me through the mortgage selection process. Once I had decided on a loan, the lender processed my information and provided me with a pre-approval letter. At once I gave the letter to my Realtor (who I had randomly selected from a local real estate company) and then began the fun and challenging step of house hunting!
One of the most challenging aspects of buying my home was communicating to my Realtor exactly what I wanted, and my Realtor listening to me by locating and showing me homes that matched my criteria.
This process took a couple of weeks but eventually I came across “the one” and immediately put down a “good faith” deposit with my offer. After a couple of negotiations, my offer was accepted the same day and an appointment for closing was made.
About a month later – after a home inspection – my new home was closed on and, after signing stacks and stacks of papers, I was handed the keys to my new home.
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