5 Ways to Make Your Move Easier

Without proper planning, there are a number of potentially costly and time-consuming missteps that can be made. To make your next move a seamless and hassle-free one, take advantage of these five tips for simplifying this effort from beginning to end.

1. Determine How Much You Can Afford

Establish a comfortable price point for your purchase before you start shopping. Among some of the different factors to consider when planning your budget are your credit score, your available monies for a down payment, your debt, and your income.

Keep in mind that if you’re transitioning from renter to owner, there are also a number of homeownership costs that you’ll need to cover along with your monthly mortgage payment.

Among these are property taxes, property maintenance costs, utilities, home insurance, mortgage insurance, and HOA dues.

2. Spend Plenty of Time Searching for the Right Neighborhood

When buying a home, the importance of choosing the right location can never be over-stressed. There are countless things that you can do to improve the look, functionality, and overall feel of your house.

The one feature that’s impossible to change, however, is its location. As such, you’ll want to spend plenty of time scouting out the right location.

Assess the "walkability" of different areas by taking strolls through these neighborhoods during the daytime to see how many local shops, restaurants, and other establishments you can comfortably reach on foot.

You should also take a walk or two at night. This will let you know whether you feel safe in a community, or whether you want to search for a home elsewhere.

Be sure to read up on local crime statistics, public and private schools, recreational centers, and community organizations. Even if these factors aren’t relevant to your household, they can help boost the marketability of your investment should you choose to sell.

3. Get Your Funding Squared Away

Sellers will find your offers infinitely more appealing if they’re backed by a loan approval. Pre-qualifying for a loan isn’t the same as getting a pre-approval.

With pre-qualification, lenders simply give an estimate of how much money you might be qualified to receive based on basic details. Pre-approval, however, entails the same stringent review of your finances as a regular loan application will.

Seeking out funding in advance of finding your dream home will also give you more time to research different loan options. If you’re a veteran, find out the latest information on VA loan limits and then start the application process.

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      some planning your garden ideas to consider      

If you’re a first-time buyer, spend some time researching first-time buyer assistance programs. The more help that you get and the more diligent you are in weighing the pros and cons of different funding types; the easier it will be to finance a quality property in a good location.

4. Align Yourself With a Reputable Real Estate Agent With Needs-Specific Skills

It helps to define your goals and interests before shopping for a real estate agent. You’ll want to work with someone who has extensive experience in the areas in which your interests lie.

This means building your budget, determining which neighborhoods you want to target, and deciding which home features are most important to you. Look for someone with excellent communication skills and stellar reviews from past clients.

While working with the biggest and best-known real estate agent might be appealing, it’s better to find someone who can give you the time and attention you deserve. Moreover, given that highly successful real estate agents tend to target larger territories, choosing a lesser-known but still seasoned professional could give you the benefit of niche-specific insights.

5. Avoid Big Ticket Purchases

After getting your pre-approval letter and finding your dream home, you may be tempted to run out and purchase brand new furnishings or appliances. Until you’ve made it to the closing table and your transaction is finalized, you’ll want to avoid taking on any additional financing.

other valuable tips:

Home Renovations To Complete Before You Move In

7 Tips to Safely Store and Move Your Valuable Furniture to Your New Home

Loan underwriters perform a final credit review before officially underwriting any mortgage loans that they’ve pre-approved. If you’ve got new credit accounts on your record, your lender may decide to deduct the total amount of these accounts from your approved funding or to retract your loan approval entirely.

Finding, purchasing, and moving into a home can be a challenge. Notwithstanding this fact, it’s also guaranteed to be incredibly rewarding.

With the five tips above, you can simplify these efforts and avoid some of the most common stumbling-blocks among new home buyers.

Image credit: make your move easier by envato.com

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