Tackling a home search as a first-time homebuyer is no easy feat – and should be something to be celebrated! This is a huge step in your life, after all. Once the excitement about making such a big decision dies down a little bit, it’s time to start the planning process involved with making such a big financial decision. Beyond just choosing which house is right for you, you also need to make sure you’re financially ready for this step. 

Wondering what the best way to start out your house search is, and how to make sure you’re ready for it? Check out our house hunting tips so you avoid common first time homebuyer mistakes. 

• Have your pre-approval mortgage letter ready to go. This will make you a credible buyer and put you ahead in your process. 
• Interview real estate agents. Having the right agent on your side who will help you not only fid the right place for you, but be on your side for negotiations and for the buying process itself is invaluable. 
• Research the housing market. Knowing what the market is currently doing is very important for buyers, especially first time ones. What are interest rates looking like? Are pricing trends high or low? What are the trends in your area, and is it a seller’s or buyer’s market? Knowing all of this ahead of time will let you be a smarter buyer and avoid getting overcharged. 
• Be realistic. Know your budget and core requirements for your future home, and manage your expectations. Not every place you look at is going to be a good fit, and you need to make sure you know what you can realistically afford to have in your new place. 
• Beware of potential issues. When viewing houses, keep a critical eye out for any large or structural issues that can cause a lot of problems later on. Look past cosmetic things, but don’t ignore big problems just because you think a house is cute. Never forget: dont ever skip a home inspection!

Where to Look for a New Home

Thankfully, looking for a house has really never been more convenient or easy than in 2022. There are a ton of websites and apps out there for not only housing listings, which will let you screen and eliminate homes before you waste your time going to see them. You can even use some to match yourself with a real estate agent to help you in the process!

The following are the most popular house hunting sites and apps in 2022:

• Zillow
• Trulia
• Realtor.com
• Hotpads
• Redfin
• Homes.com
• Homesnap

Looking directly at listings on various realty company websites can also be a huge advantage, as some companies may only post their listings there, or just more than what they do on sites like Zillow and Trulia. 

Once you’ve found the right home for you, it’s time to work with the best professional movers in the area! Learn more about Moving Services Inc. and our personalized, customized moving services today.