Whether you're just starting out your first time home-buying journey or simply obsessed with scrolling through Redfin listings before sleeping every night (guilty!), it's never too early to start taking notes to prepare! 📝
⭐️ It’s important to understand how much house you can actually afford by doing your research on home loans and speaking with a lender first. That way, you’ll have a goal and plan ready on how much to save for a down payment, how much a monthly mortgage payment would be with said down payment, what credit score you currently have, what interest rate you’re getting, and accounting for other costs!
⭐️ Don’t NOT buy a home just because you can’t currently afford your dream home. With home prices sky rocketing, most people can’t afford their absolute dream home. If you are fortunate enough to be in a financial situation to buy a home, you should definitely do so given that it doesn’t have to be your forever home and just a home to get to where you want to be next! The appreciation value of a home alone is a great investment tool and it’s never too early to start investing into real estate!
⭐️ There is no home out there that’s going to be 100% perfect. Figure out what is a total deal breaker and what are some things that can be overlooked or easily fixed (such as paint colors, flooring, kitchen cabinetry) and narrow down on what is an absolute must have (such as great school district, bedroom on the first floor, quiet neighborhood, etc.) It’s never a bad idea to know what is a must-have versus a nice-to-have.
⭐️ Always get a home inspection on the property no matter what to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting into when you’re making such a big investment and depending on the market, negotiate for these big ticket items to be credited by the seller!
⭐️ Work with the right real estate agent who is going to give you guidance throughout the entire process, negotiate on your behalf, win you the offer, and most importantly, cause you the least stress and make the whole journey fun! 🤗
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Caroline Zhong
REALTOR®
(626) 429-5616
DRE #: 02017139
KW Executive
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Hopefully this was helpful and please feel free to contact me for any questions or advice! 🤗👩🏻💼
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