eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.

How To

How to Buy Your First Home

Member
By natnorkelly
User-Submitted Article
(0 Ratings)
Buy Your First Home
Buy Your First Home
http://mds.mennonite.net/fileadmin/user_upload/_temp_/Faith-in-Action-House.jpg

Are you looking to buy your first house but don't know where to start? Follow these few steps, and you will be on your way to owning your own home shortly.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • time
  • money
  • patience
  1. Step 1

    Obviously the first thing that needs to be done, is you need to decide that you are ready to purchase your first house. Get in the mindset that it is not going to be easy, there is going to be constant upkeep, and it is most likely going to cost a significant amount of money.

  2. Step 2

    Now you need to figure out how much can you afford. If you are going to finance your home through a bank, simply go to the bank and ask to speak to someone about preapproval on a home mortgage. Within a few minutes, you will know how much house you can afford.

  3. Step 3

    You now need to factor in additional costs. These could be mandatory renovations of the property, home inspection, down payment, etc. These additional costs could prove to be more costly than you would expect.

  4. Step 4

    Now figure out the ongoing costs of the property. Most likely these will only be your mortgage payments, insurance, taxes, and possibly a homeowner's association fee. Once you have figured out how much buying a house is actually going to cost, it might help you make your final decision.

  5. Step 5

    Go and choose a neighborhood that is within your price range. It's fine to dream a little, but be realistic.

  6. Step 6

    Find a reliable and honest broker. Working with a broker should not be a hassle. They are there to make the process go smoother. Spend some time searching for a good broker, and they it will definitely pay off.

Tips & Warnings
  • Buying a house is essential to building long-term wealth.
  • Be smart, only buy what you know you can afford, not what your friends say you can afford.
Subscribe

Post a Comment

Post a Comment

Related Ads

  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This
Get Free Personal Finance Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2010 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .   en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. † requires javascript

eHow Personal Finance
eHow_eHow Business and Finance