Obtain Mortgage Preapproval Before You Begin House Hunting

• Learn how much home you can purchase
• Strengthen your bargaining position with sellers

Choose a Real Estate Agent

• Ask mortgage lenders to recommend agents they work with
• Select a reputable professional who knows the market and will listen to your needs
• Ask agents for references from former clients

Finding the Right Home

• Determing the needs of you and your family
• Create a wish list of desirable features
• Take notes as you preview homes

Make an Offer

• Your real estate agent presents your offer to the seller, who will accept, counter or reject it
• When the price is settled, you and the seller sign a Purchase Agreement, defining the terms of the sale

Have the Home Inspected

• Hire a professional home inspector after the offer has been accepted to provide an in-depth look at the basic systems
  of the house, to reveal any safety hazards and give you a chance to reconsider the deal

The Home Will Be Appraised

• An appraisal, required by your mortgage lender, is a formal, written estimate of the home’s current market value Obtain Title Insurance (where applicable)
• This guarantees that the property you are purchasing is free of liens or confusion in rights of ownership
• The policy insures against any losses to the property that results from defects in the title or deed

Close on the Property

• Ownership of the property is transferred
• A closing agent coordinates and distributes all the paperwork and funds

And now you become the proud owner of your new home!