You are ready to make the move, what goes first, chicken or the egg?
It is so overwhelming when you are ready to begin the process of buying a home. Where do you begin, Lender or Realtor? Both are a great place to start. Your Realtor could refer you to a great lender and vice versa your Lender could refer you to a great Realtor. Do you go to a bank, call a Lender from the internet or Google a Lender? All great questions. There is nothing better than a referral, start with asking friends or family. They will have first hand knowledge of someone if they have financed a home. If you have no one you can call, you can always go on Social Media and ask for a referral or go to your local bank.
Once you have made contact with the Loan Originator and have made application, you should request a copy of the proposed Settlement Statement. The settlement statement will give you a good idea of proposed costs to purchase a home such as Origination Fee, PMI, Discount Points, Appraisal Fee just to name a few.
As an example the Origination Fee is the payment to the lender to evaluate your credit and underwrite and process the loan. PMI or Mortgage Insurance is required if the down payment is less than 20%. This protects the lender if you default. You will soon learn that you will have lender charges, title charges and POC (paid outside of closing) costs. You MUST get a handle on what your costs will be so that you can be prepared before you begin the search.
We have put together a complete guide of the buying process that will answer most of your questions, if not all. If you are interested in getting the Buyer's Guide To Closing Costs feel free to reach out to us for the complete guide. We are always here to make your home buying process as smooth as possible! Here is to Happy Hunting! Feel free to go to www.HousingHotSpot.com to begin your search.