For many first-time homebuyers or those with less-than-perfect credit, navigating the world of mortgage options…
Two Things Home Buyers Need to Think About Before Contacting a Realtor
Many people find it useful to have a home buying checklist and these 2 items should be the first on any list, as they’re essential to getting the ball rolling on your dream of home ownership. Here are two things every potential home buyer needs to think about before contacting a realtor.
1. Determine how your credit looks.
Luckily in this computer age there are many ways for us to easily and quickly check our credit ad credit scores. There are multiple sites out there to check your credit for free.
Two that we like are www.freecreditreport.com and www.creditkarma.com . If you have a credit score below 640 you may want to dive deeper into your report to see if there are opportunities to increase that score before contacting a realtor.
Ways to do that would be by disputing errors if there are any with the credit bureaus, making sure you are current with all monthly payments, and reducing debt where possible. Get your credit in order before talking to a realtor and it will make the whole process much smoother.
2. Get a pre-approval from a mortgage professional.
Once you know about your credit you should contact a mortgage professional and work on a mortgage pre-approval. But don’t just pick any mortgage professional as they are not all created equal.
Do your research so that you can feel confident that the person you pick is knowledgeable and will take care of you as if they were buying their own home. Happy shopping!!!
If you have any questions about purchasing a home, please reach out to us today before contacting a realtor. We are happy to answer any questions.