Helpful tips to finding a home

Finding your dream home may be an exciting experience. You may not know where to start or where to begin on obtaining a home. Here are steps that you will need to hel you on the way.

To get a good idea of the kind of home you want to live in, get online and do some research.You can do this by checking the following:

• Is this a safe place to live?
• What's the cost of living?
• What's the climate?
• Is this affordable?
• Are there employment opportunities?
• What's the commute to your children's school?
• What kind of area would you like to live in?
• What would your commute to work be like, or would you have the option to use public transportation?
• What type of design are you looking for?
• Do you have access to nearby grocery stores?
• What kind of amenities do you want in your home?

The first thing you want to do before looking for your dream home is to take a look at the following:

• Save up for your down payment.
• Put more towards your down payment for better options.
• Get your proof of income together, you will need a W-2 or a check stub.
• If your credit score happens to be 500 or below. You need to do whatever you can to work on getting it higher. You can start with paying your bills on time, or disputing errors off of your credit report. You can do this online at CreditKarma.com or on Experian.com.

• Talk to a lender and get referrals before you hire a Real Estate Agent.
• Do some research online to find potential candidates.
• Interview at least 3-4 different Real Estate Agents. This way you will get to review each of their qualifications and see which one best fits your needs.
• Check out their References.
• Find someone who has a background in selling the same type of homes that you plan to move in to.

If your agent has experience in dealing with the homes that you are interested in, You will have a better chance in finding what your looking for. Not to mention it makes things a lot more easier on the both of you.

You can set up a meeting or attend an Open house.

Open house is a opportunity to take a look at the house that is for sell. Here are some things to take into account when attending:

• You want to dress professional if you want to be taken seriously.
• You don't normally have to knock unless there are instructions on the door telling you otherwise.
• Some Agents run their Open houses differently.
• There are Agents who will give you a full walk through and an explanation of the features through out the property. While other Agents give you the freedom to walk through by yourself.
• When you are inside of the property, there may be other potential buyers who are also looking at the home. Be sure to give them their space and wait to go in that room when they are finished. In the meantime, look in other areas of the house.
• Some Agents may ask you to take your shoes off at the door to keep the carpet clean.
• Do not use Bathrooms or open Dressers or Cabinets because someone might still be living there.
• Take notes and ask important questions.
• If the Agent is not there, their paperwork and Business cards should be on a table or counter. Grab one and follow up with them later.

Before you make this big decision on rather your going to rent or buy, Be sure to take everything in to consideration. Make sure that your choice will fit your personal situation as well as your needs.

What to expect when Renting:

• If your situation changes, you have more flexibility.
• If your finances go up or down you have the ability to move in to a different home, with a price to your liking.
• You don't have to pay for any repairs and or maintenance needed.
• You have fewer upfront payments and paperwork to deal with.
• You can work on building your credit, if your landlord reports your payments.

What to expect when Buying:

• When you are finished making your payments, the home belongs to you.
• Build your equity and credit score.
• You can receive tax benefits, especially if your home appreciates more than everything that you have spent on it.
• You are able to fix up and build on the house how ever you like.
• You don't have to answer to a landlord.

There are many different places that you can live in. You can stay in the city, in a country or in a small town.

Which ever one you choose, you should take some time to get familiar with the neighborhood and your future neighbors.

This will give you an opportunity to meet all of the wonderful people who you will soon live around for years to come.

When choosing your area it is very important to pay attention to the businesses around you.

Check your surrounding area to see if there is a Mall, Department stores and/ or Restaurants in the area.

Going for a nice walk down the block will help you get a better idea of if this is really the area that you plan to eventually reside in.

Do not move in until you have had someone take a real good look at the place inside and out. You want to be sure that this house is worth investing in for your future.

The only way you will be able to know for sure is if you:

• Hire a professional Home inspector to come out and take a look at the house to make sure that it is in tip top shape to move in.
• You may have specific needs that you have in mind for your home, so it is important that everything is to your liking. This is where you will be living for the next couple of years. So you want to be sure it is what you really want.

The inspector will let you know if you their will be any future repairs to be made and whatever may need some touch ups.

A few things that the inspector should check is:

• Plumbing systems
• Electrical systems
• HVAC system
• Attic
• Roof
• Floors
• Basement

An inspection usually takes almost 2 to 3 hours. Depending on where you live and how big your home is the price can range from $400-$1,000.

America's choice inspection's is a company who offers this service.

The big day is here!

After you have done all of the steps above you should have found the perfect house for you and your family.

Now it's time to get all of your belongings together and get ready for the big move.

Here are some top ranked moving companies:

• Atlas Van lines
• United Van lines
• Bellhops
• Wheaton world wide moving

For better prices try to:

• Rent a moving truck
• Rent a portable moving container
• Use a freight trailer
• Shipping

When searching for a moving company:

• Get a referral
• Make sure they are insured
• Make sure they are licensed
• Check online with BBB