Have you had thoughts about buying your first home but don’t know how that process works or how to get started? First of all, I’m happy to speak with anyone who has questions about starting this process. I can also provide information about recent market activity in the Triangle or even a specific neighborhood you’re interested in.
Buying your first home is a major life event and can be intimidating when beginning to seriously look. That’s why licensed and trained professionals such as myself and a qualified mortgage lender are here to navigate you through this process so you’re prepared to buy your dream home.
The first step generally would be to figure out what you could afford for a home. Scott Mulder with Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC is a mortgage consultant who has helped several of my clients. Even if they’re not quite ready to buy yet, he’s talked to some of my clients to give them an idea of what they can afford for a house and what their monthly payments would look like.
Along with helping a buyer determine what they can afford and what their monthly payments would be, he can also assess a buyer’s credit report to give advice on ways to improve their credit to put them in the right position over time to buy. He doesn’t have to pull someone’s credit to do this. You can just go to annualcreditreport.com to obtain your report and share it with Scott for him to help. If needed, there are also credit repair companies for a variety of situations that you can use for more help with improving your credit score.
There are even free online classes available with information about buying a home for the first time. Scott recommends taking this online class and saving the information in case it is needed for your future loan: https://homeready.frameworkhomeownership.org/.
Anyone who subscribes to my blog with their email after reading this post will be sent a free “Home Buyer’s Guide” from Scott at Prosperity. It outlines every step with obtaining a loan, definitions to basic mortgage terms, and information about different types of loans.
When I start working with a buyer, we have a conversation about what they’re looking for in a home. We discuss price point, size of the home, location, and every other detail that’s important for their search. Even if you’re not quite ready to buy yet, it’s helpful to start looking to know what you’re able to buy where you’re looking and what you want. Maybe you’ve been dreaming of owning a home in Five Points in Raleigh. Then you’d want to know what to expect for how much homes typically go for in that area to see if it fits your budget and your needs.
I have several friends who have let me know they’re not quite at the point of buying, but they’d like to in the future and have certain criteria for what they’re looking for. I take time to check if anything I think they’d love comes up and send them the information on it to keep them updated on what’s coming on the market. I’ll also update them on the statistics about market conditions and real estate activity in the neighborhood they are interested in.
When it comes to actually showing homes, there are several options for conducting showings. With all the precautions in place for the pandemic, I’ve met clients at a showing with us wearing masks and sanitizing throughout homes. I’ve also done plenty of virtual showings on a live FaceTime call and by taking videos to share with clients.
For clients I have who are in more of a time crunch for finding a home, I’ve also often previewed a home on my own to make sure it was worth the time of my client before us going to see it together. Currently with how the market is in Raleigh, there is a shortage of inventory and buyers are finding themselves in multiple offer situations. I help stay on top of navigating these situations by checking often what new has come on the market and going to see a property on my own as soon as possible if I think a client could be interested.
There are so many other services that I provide when I work through the process of finding a buyer a home, but I’ve highlighted a few. The goal is for me to make your experience as stress-free as possible and to handle the leg work of finding your home. At the end of the day, this should be a fun, exciting process!
If you’d like more information about how I work with home buyers or have any general questions about purchasing a home, please contact me. Scott and I are happy to chat on the phone or meet for coffee to talk.
Jacqueline Lee – jacqueline@societyrealtygroup.com – 336-354-3090
Scott Mulder – Scott.Mulder@phmloans.com – 919-819-5636
Also, remember to subscribe to my blog to be sent a copy of the home buyer’s guide from Prosperity Mortgage.
A Guide to Raleigh by Jacqueline Lee, Realtor 