If you’ve been looking at houses for sale in California, you may have seen a lot of different prices and even a confusing array of terminology. Getting into your dream home doesn’t have to be that hard, and there’s something in the View Park area for everyone. You can get there! Your journey begins with these four tips on how to get into your new home.
Understand Your Finances
With a good understanding of your financial situation, you’ll be ready to give intelligent thought to all the options. To really get a handle on what you can afford, you’ll need to know:
- How much of a down payment you can put down
- A reasonable monthly mortgage payment for your income
- Your credit score and history, so you know what kind of loan you qualify for
- Current rates for homeowner’s insurance
- Property taxes in the areas where you’d like to live
- HOA fees, if any
Once you have a good sense of your finances, you’ll know what price range to look in as you consider houses for sale in California. Your realtor can give you more detailed information and help you find something within your unique budget.
Know What’s Really Important to You
If you can dream it, you can probably find it in the Windsor Hills area! Having an idea of what’s most important to you will help your realtor narrow the search to the right properties for you.
What You Can’t Live Without
Start with the absolute essentials. Does the property need to be close to a particular school or a transportation network? Do you need to be within walking distance of something? How much parking will you need? You also need to consider things like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and kitchen sizes.
What You Really Want
These are things that mean a lot to you but might not be deal breakers if one or two are missing. This might be an extra room you could turn into a game room or formal dining area, an unattached garage, or how recently the gutters have been redone.
What Would Be Nice
These are items you might like to have but you understand that you might not get them. You’re willing to sacrifice these in order to get what you can’t live without. This might be a pool, heated bathroom floors, or new kitchen appliances.
Get Pre-Approved on a Mortgage
Getting pre-approval will save you a lot of hassle later. It also signals to buyers that you’re a serious contender. If you aren’t pre-approved, you risk losing something you love to another buyer while you’re waiting around to hear from your lender.
To get pre-approved, shop around for good lenders in your area and then be prepared with all your financial information. In general, you’ll need the following, though specific requirements may vary by lender:
- Proof of your income from your employer
- Proof of stable income for at least five years if you’re self-employed
- The value of all your investments
- The amount of savings you have
- Identification to run a current credit score
Find a Realtor Who Knows About Houses for Sale in California
Nothing will make your journey to your dream home easier or faster than having a great realtor. You want someone with a good reputation, plenty of experience, and intimate knowledge of the housing market, homes, and the whole neighborhood.
A great realtor will have access to information you can’t find online and will know how to navigate the whole confusing process of finding and buying a home as quickly as possible. Just remember: the more information you can give your realtor about what you want, the better she can find what you need. For homes in the Windsor Hills area, get in touch with Teresa Mack to find houses in your budget that have everything you really want.
