{"id":5884,"date":"2021-04-01T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2021-04-01T13:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/?p=5884"},"modified":"2021-03-30T05:25:57","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T09:25:57","slug":"the-steps-to-buying-your-first-home-follow-this-path-to-homeownership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2021\/04\/01\/the-steps-to-buying-your-first-home-follow-this-path-to-homeownership\/","title":{"rendered":"The Steps to Buying Your First Home: Follow This Path to Homeownership"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>First time homebuyers may think they are ready to purchase, but\u00a0it pays to know what you&#8217;re getting into. Not preparing in advance can set you up for some nasty surprises. Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/15\/tips-for-first-time-homebuyers-3\/\">the key steps<\/a> you should understand to ensure you&#8217;re ready to walk the path to homeownership.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 1: Connect With A\u00a0Loan Officer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A knowledgeable, experienced loan officer\u00a0is essential in\u00a0making your homeownership dreams a reality. Find one who makes you feel comfortable asking questions, and who is accessible\u00a0to walk you through the process.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-5886\" src=\"http:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_13964310_xl-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"432\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_13964310_xl-2015.jpg 800w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_13964310_xl-2015-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_13964310_xl-2015-768x553.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 2: Obtain a Pre-Approval Letter<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/18\/the-pre-approval-process-and-why-it-matters\/\">pre-approval letter <\/a>shows the seller\u00a0you&#8217;re\u00a0serious about buying a home. It\u00a0gives\u00a0you an\u00a0edge on other buyers who didn&#8217;t have the forethought to secure one. Knowing you already qualified for a mortgage loan may give you additional bargaining power if other buyers are vying for the same house.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3: Select a Real Estate Agent<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some buyers go it on their own, and this is a mistake. Real estate agents can navigate the process and be by your side to make sure you make the right moves. Find one you like and who understands what you&#8217;re looking for.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4: Find Your Dream Home<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Look in the neighborhoods you like for homes within your budget. This takes knowing which features you must have \u2013 and which you can live without. Make a list and narrow down your must-haves so you can be specific with your real estate agent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 5: Make an Offer<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve decided on a home, offer what you think it&#8217;s worth, along with your earnest money. Be prepared to bid against other offers and to counteroffer if the buyer doesn&#8217;t accept your first one. This process can take several days.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 6: Get an Appraisal and a Home Inspection<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The seller has accepted your offer. Things are moving along well, but you&#8217;re not to the finish line yet. Wait for the appraisal and home inspection before you get too excited about living in the house, since both have a bearing on qualifying for your mortgage.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5889\" src=\"http:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_14707491_xl-2015.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_14707491_xl-2015.jpg 600w, https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_14707491_xl-2015-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 7: Request Repairs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You might need to go back to the seller to address repair issues found in the home inspection. This may cause another round of negotiations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 8: Get Final Loan Approval<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The loan officer can finalize your loan once they have all your information and the appraisal in their possession.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 9: Purchase Homeowner&#8217;s Insurance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Talk to a couple of insurance companies to get the best quote on insuring your new home. Some give discounts on a house\/auto combo.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 10: Receive Closing Documents<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>These are sent three days prior to your closing date. Review them carefully and ask questions on anything you don&#8217;t understand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Closing time is here! <\/strong>Get the keys to your new home! It&#8217;s time to take ownership of your new place. Congratulations on being a new homeowner!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First time homebuyers may think they are ready to purchase, but\u00a0it pays to know what you&#8217;re getting into. Not preparing in advance can set you up for some nasty surprises. Here are the key steps you should understand to ensure you&#8217;re ready to walk the path to homeownership. Step 1: Connect With A\u00a0Loan Officer A &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2021\/04\/01\/the-steps-to-buying-your-first-home-follow-this-path-to-homeownership\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The Steps to Buying Your First Home: Follow This Path to Homeownership<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-first-time-homebuyers"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Steps to Buying Your First Home: Follow This Path to Homeownership - Mortgage Investors Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/migonline.com\/blog\/2021\/04\/01\/the-steps-to-buying-your-first-home-follow-this-path-to-homeownership\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Steps to Buying Your First Home: Follow This Path to Homeownership - Mortgage Investors Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"First time homebuyers may think they are ready to purchase, but\u00a0it pays to know what you&#8217;re getting into. Not preparing in advance can set you up for some nasty surprises. Here are the key steps you should understand to ensure you&#8217;re ready to walk the path to homeownership. 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