Before you start shopping for the home of your dreams, you need to prepare by doing several things. Check your credit rating. Several months before you start home shopping, get credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and go over them carefully. Note any discrepancies and clear them up. Do everything you can to raise your credit score and make yourself more attractive to lenders. Build a file with all the paperwork that is pertinent to the home buying process. Having all your “ducks in a row” will help you secure financing. If you don’t already have a lender, we can help you get things in order and refer you to a lender to suit your needs. You will need copies of; financial statements, bank accounts, investments, credit cards, auto loans, recent pay stubs, copies of leases for investment properties, 401K statements, life insurance, stocks, bonds, and mutual account information. Create realistic lists of “must haves” and “would like to have” for your home as well as a budget and neighborhoods you’d like to live in.
