8 essential steps to take

Brent guides you through the home-buying journey with 8 essential steps to follow.

More of a reader? Catch the video transcript below!

Hey guys! Today we’re going to talk about the home-buying journey and what steps to take when you’re buying a home. Let’s jump on in.

1. Gather your team of trusted pros.

The first step to a smooth home-buying process is getting together your team of real estate pros: real estate agent, financial planner, tax pro, and a loan officer.

2. Decide on your numbers.

Once you’ve put together your dream team, it’s time to think about numbers.

What are the interest rates right now?

How much money do you have saved for your down payment?

Where is the down payment coming from?

How much house can you afford?

3. Get your finances in order.

Once you’ve nailed down your numbers, you need to figure out if you need to make any financial changes before you’re ready to go house hunting.

Do you need to save a little bit more for your down payment? Do you want to get some debt paid off first? Are there any black marks on your credit report that you need to remove?

If there are any changes you need to make to get your finances in tip-top shape, now is the time to strategize and come up with a plan.

4. Go house hunting!

Now for the fun part. You have your team, you know your numbers, your finances are in order, you’ve got that pre-approval letter, and now it’s just about looking for your new home.

5. Write an offer.

Once you’ve found the perfect home, you’ll then work together with your real estate agent to write an offer…and then wait to see if it gets accepted (one of the most stressful parts of the process!).

6. Do all the escrow things.

Your offer got accepted! Congrats - you’re now in escrow!

During the escrow period, you’re going to be talking with your lender about getting your loan approved and getting your appraisal in order to make sure that the value of the home matches what the lender promised to loan you.

Next comes the inspection to make sure the house is in good shape when it comes to plumbing, foundation, roof, electrical, and all that stuff.

7. Closing time!

Once your loan is approved and the appraisal and inspection are done, it’s time for you to sign a mountain of paperwork and officially get the keys to your new home!

Pro Tip of the Day

When you’re building your team of people, you want to make sure that each person comes to you with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman. These processes are long, so make sure that you have trustworthy people on your side who make you feel confident and comfortable.

You need to feel like they have the knowledge to know what they’re doing, but also have the empathy to help you through your unique situation.

It’s so important to really make sure you’re interviewing multiple agents, two or three loan officers, and making sure that you are getting a good idea of who the different people in the marketplace are so that you can make a sound decision on the professionals you decide to work with.

That’s going to be it for me today guys! Make sure you check out my YouTube channel for more content like this and subscribe if you feel so inclined! See you in the next one!

Brent Edwards (aka Brent the Broker) is a residential real estate agent and Realtor in San Diego, CA who helps clients buy and sell homes in San Diego, California and all surrounding areas. Brent is a highly-recommended Realtor in San Diego by family, friends and past clients. Call Brent today at 619-550-8070 if you have any questions about real estate in San Diego or you'd like to buy or sell a home.