Sunday, 31 January 2010

Getting Pre Approved For A Loan Saves A Lot Of Time


By Kevin Forcey

You have decided it is time to buy a home, whether it is your first home or your 10th it is still an exciting and nerve racking time. There are things you can do to reduce your stress levels, and I don't mean booze! Being realistic with the homes you are looking at is a big thing. Are you sure you are really able to buy that $250,000 home rather than the $150.000 one 3 streets away?

It may seem that the first thing you should do is find your real estate agent and rush out and look at every home in your price range. This mistake is a very, very common one, lets be honest it is exciting imagining yourself living in a huge house with a swimming pool, what if the reality is that you can only afford a 2 bedroom 1 bath shed? It may hurt but you need to know exactly what sort of house you can afford, there is no point wasting time looking at houses you will never be able to buy.

It is always tempting to look at a house which is just a few thousand more than you are approved for, just don't reach too far or you will be disappointed. Another thing to keep in mind is not to show your letter too early in the negotiation process. If you are approved for $200k and the home owners know that then they may be less willing to move from their price point.

Buying a house has always had an element of negotiation attached to it. The person selling the home wants to get as much money as they can and you want to pay as little as possible for it. Obviously in an ideal world you can find somewhere in the middle of the price they want to get and the one you want to pay, then everyone is happy. Sadly enough we dont live in an ideal world, so you have to get all the tools you possibly can so that you get the best deal possible.

Having a pre-approval letter does not automatically mean that you will be able to buy a house at that maximum level, nor should you. As a wise man said, it is easier to borrow money than it is to pay it back. The letter will save you headaches when trying to get access to homes and it should speed up the buying process once you find the right home.

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