STEP 1 - DEFINE NEEDS FOR YOUR NEW HOME
Congratulations on your decision to purchase a new home! Your first step toward buying your new home will be to analyze your needs. Your real estate agent can assist in analyzing your needs so that you will be able to get a clear picture of exactly what you want your new home to look like and how it should function for you and your family.   > > > MORE

STEP 2 - MORTGAGE PRE-APPROVAL / PRE-QUALIFY
Now that you have your list of features you want in your new home, you are ready to start looking! Well, not just yet. You are going to need to know in what price range to look. There are two ways to go about this. You can get prequalified or preapproved for a mortgage.   > > > MORE

STEP 3 - NEIGHBORHOOD INFORMATION
Now that you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses! Not just yet. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house; they buy the neighborhood the house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a neighborhood that wasn't to your liking, would you make an offer on it? Most likely the answer would be, "No."   > > > MORE

STEP 4 - SEARCH FOR YOUR DREAM HOME
At this point you will have a good idea of what you can afford and what type of neighborhood you will want to live in. Taking that information into consideration you are ready to embark on your actual home search. If you don't know much about the city that you are moving to you will most likely want to start your search by finding neighborhoods that meet your criteria and then narrowing your search to particular homes in the area.   > > > MORE

STEP 5 - MAKE AN OFFER
Now that you and your real estate agent have found the home you would like to purchase, it's time to make an offer. Taking into account the recent sales of homes in that neighborhood which are similar in size, quality, conveniences, and amenities, what are you willing to pay for the home? Your real estate agent will consult with you and advise you on how to create an offer that will have the best chance of being accepted.   > > > MORE

STEP 6 - NEGOTIATE THE OFFER
Once your offer is made, you and your real estate agent may need to enter some negotiation in order to reach an agreement. Keep in mind that almost everything is negotiable when you are buying a house. This can give you a great deal of leverage in the buying process -- that is, if you have adequate information and you use it in an appropriate manner. Your agent will have the market knowledge and negotiating expertise necessary to make sure that your offer is accepted at the best price and terms possible for you.   > > > MORE

STEP 7 - FIND A VENDOR
After your offer has been accepted, your agent will supervise the coordination of all necessary vendors and serving as your advocate when working with each vendor. Your agent will make sure that the vendors have access to the property at the appropriate times to perform their procedures and oversee the execution of those procedures on your behalf.   > > > MORE

STEP 8 - PRE-CLOSE PREPARATION
As the closing date draws near, your real estate agent will contact the escrow company or closing attorney and your lender to make sure that all the necessary documents are being prepared, and that they are complete, accurate, and delivered in a timely manner. Your agent will also need to confirm that the documents will be delivered to the correct location so they can be reviewed and that they will be ready for the appropriate closing date.   > > > MORE

STEP 9 - CLOSING ON A HOME
"Closing" refers to the meeting where ownership of the property is legally transferred to the buyer. It is a formal meeting in which most parties involved in the buying/selling process will attend. Closing procedures are usually held at the title company's office or lawyer's office.   > > > MORE

STEP 10 - POST-CLOSE ACTIVITY
Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! Now that you have taken ownership of the property you will need to have your local services such as electricity, cable, and phone set up. Your real estate agent can help you coordinate the set-up of these local services. No doubt your agent already knows who the local vendors are for such services as water and electricity, as well as others, so he or she can help provide you with a list of contacts.   > > > MORE