Top 3 Things to Consider Before House Hunting

There are a few things to consider when looking to buy your first condo or home.

My top 3 things to take into consideration are checking your credit score, checking how much you qualify for if taking out a loan, and lastly, choosing a realtor you can trust and can work well with.

Checking your credit score plays a huge role in your planning process. Your credit score affects your interest rate for a loan. Also, sometimes we may not even know that there is an outstanding balance that is possibly affecting your credit history. And if you are looking to move into a condo, some associations require a minimum credit score of 650. So the better the credit score, the better interest rate and no issues with condos. You can always pull a free credit report at freecreditreport.com or visit creditkarma.com.

Another important factor is knowing your budget. If you start searching for homes before you know your budget, you may be setting yourself up. Make sure to speak with a mortgage lender that can advise you with what you need to do to prepare for a home purchase in order to find the perfect home for you.

And last but not least, finding a realtor that you enjoy working with. House hunting can be very stressful and the online systems are not always up to date and easy to use. When you submit your information to an online listing, you may start getting bombarded with calls. It may take more time scheduling and you may not even see the extra search fields to avoid wasting time on homes you wouldn't care to see. Finding a great realtor will save you time, relieve stress and provide you with some guidance during this journey.

If you have any questions on these topics, please feel free to comment below.