3 Must-Haves Before Buying Your First Home

Where do I want to live? How do I search for homes? What can I afford? How much of a down payment do I need? Is it close to schools, transportation? Will I need to make renovations?   

Buying your first home can feel like a daunting process. After all, it's a major life purchase. So, we at Liberty Realty put together a few important must-haves to consider: 

1. Get pre-qualified. Getting pre-qualified is an estimate by a lender of how much you might be eligible to borrow for your mortgage. Some factors that come into play here include your debt to income ratio, savings, assets, and credit score. 

2. Find out your wish-list. For instance, where would you like to live (see our video on Hoboken), do you have a minimum square footage you'd like to live in, if you'd like a backyard, amount of bedrooms and bathrooms needed; transportation options; if you have a preference between a condo or townhouse, etc.

3. Consult a real estate professional you can count on. Realtors are trained to know the market as well as every step in the process of buying a home including the needed documents, have access to the MLS listings for what's available, can answer any questions you have and negotiate on your behalf, and much more.   
So, what are you waiting for? Get started on buying your first home! 

Visit Liberty Realty's website, follow us on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook! Since 2010, Liberty Realty has been the #1 office in Hudson County.