So you want to buy a home? What is my first step

So you have decided now is a great time to purchase a home. Interest rates are at all time lows (under 4%) and you are tired of throwing your money down the drain renting. So what is my NEXT STEP? Call a Real Estate Agent who will refer you to some great local lenders in Pensacola. Once you are approved then your serach can begin. You need to know first if you qualify for a loan, how much you qualify for and the most important how much you want to spend each month. Never start looking at homes until you know you can actually buy a home. If you find that perfect home only to find out it is out of your budget then you will just give up searching. You can search online until you are blue in the face. Then finally you see that perfect home 2500 SF 4 bedrooms 3 bathrooms all brick for 120,000. What a steal so you pick up the phone and call a Real Estate agent to go see the home. Only to find out it is a short sale with tons of wood rot, not to mention no flooring throughout the house. So I don't understand why I can't buy this home Ms. Realtor. Well the fact is with short sales and foreclosures they are sold strictly AS-IS. You as a buyer will say well my husband and I are handy and we can do all the repairs ourselves. Wrong again. This is the most important part. If you are getting a loan then your lender will ask you for your appraisal money between 400-475.00 once you have a binding contract between the seller and the buyer. The appraiser will never pass a home with wood rot, broken windows, no flooring, no A/C and the list goes on. It is important to have a knowledgeable Real Estate agent you will guide you in the right direction and through the entire process. Remember homes with aluminum wiring cannot be insured, homes with roofs that have less than a 5 year life span cannot be insured. All very important issues; when purchasing a home. Now there are homes that are in foreclosure that are in great shape and the bank has actually already made the necessary repairs to get the home SOLD. Call a Real Estate Agent with a proven track record TODAY and let's start your search. CLICK HERE to Log on to my web-site now to search for homes and then call me to discuss purchasing a home, getting approved for a loan and to view homes for sale. I look forward to meeting all your Real Estate Needs. See you soon. Diane