The first thing is to review your credit score. First of all, you should find out what your credit score is since it is what the lenders will use to establish if you are worth the risk. One thing that you should know is that with a better credit score, you will get better interest rates. Therefore, when your credit score has few blips, try to boost your credit score.
Secondly, you should determine what you can afford. There are many online calculators that can show you monthly mortgage payments. Besides, you should also not forget to think about the expense that comes with homeownership. You find that the bigger the down payment you have, the more homes you will get. But there are other ways to help you secure funding for your first home; you can read more here.
In addition, you should gather your paperwork. This will require you to collect all the papers that you will need to secure a mortgage loan. One thing that you will have to do is to show your personal tax returns for the past 2-3 years, bank statements, proof of your address and identification as well as the recent pay stubs and credit card statements.
Besides, you should also look for a mortgage lender. Here you will have to compare different mortgage lenders so that you can find the one that suits you. Apart from that, you may also want to work with the mortgage broker who has access to many lenders, and they can show you several options.
In addition, you should get pre-approved. You find that once you get the right mortgage you should get pre-approved for a certain mortgage loan amount. This is vital because it shows that the lender has checked up on you and is willing to loan your amount. This way the sellers will know that you are able to buy the house.
Besides, you should choose a realtor. One thing that you can do is to ask for referrals from your family and friends on real estate agents, or you can choose the agent that has lots of solid listings. When you have found the agent, you should explain to them the finer details of the kind of house that you need so that they can know what to look for. After which the agent will send you listings which you should browse online and in person to get the details.
Last but not least, you should put an offer. Once you have identified the house that you want, you should place your offer and the moment your offer is accepted you should start parking.