So you’re ready to buy a house? It’s definitely an exciting time and obviously, something you’ve been dreaming of. Arc Home has put together a checklist of what you need to know!

Save, save, save.

You’re going to need to pay for your down payment, closing costs, escrow, insurance, and taxes. So the more money you have to play around with, the better!

Improve Credit Score.

The higher your credit score, the better your chance of getting approved for a lower rate. Stay current on your bills, don’t make any major purchases, and don't max out your credit cards.

Calculate what you can afford.

Get mortgage approval.

Arc Home is able to get you pre-approved. Just contact us and we’ll walk you through the process.

Decide what you want in a home.

If you plan to live there for a long time, you definitely need to love your home! Do you want a backyard? Need a garage? Make a list of everything you like and absolutely need, or can do without.

Narrow Down Your Choices.

You can look at some of the real estate sites and see what homes are currently on the market. Be sure to research the neighborhood and what the surrounding area has to offer. The great thing about real estate websites is that you can filter by square footage, pricing, number of rooms, type of home, and so on. You can find exactly what you’re looking for quickly and easily! Once you find a few homes that meet your needs, you can schedule to go visit open houses and hopefully find THE ONE!

Make your offer.

You'll first go to a house and determine whether or not to make an offer. You'll talk with your real estate agent, and the two of you will settle on a bid. Your agent will prepare an offer letter and give it to the seller's agent.

One of three responses will be provided by the seller:

   - The bid is approved by the seller.

   Everyone is happy. You're legally under contract and on the way to buying a house until both parties sign the offer letter.

   - The seller responds with a counter-offer.

   You have three options: accept the counteroffer, make another offer, or walk away.

   - Your offer is turned down by the seller.

   You should then try to come up with a more enticing offer or look for another home.

Schedule Your Home Inspection

A home inspection allows you to employ an expert to walk around the house and prepare a report that details its current state, what requires urgent attention, and what will need maintenance after you move in.

As a buyer, the home inspection report will show if the house has been well-maintained or whether it needs significant repairs. If you're dissatisfied with the state of the property, you can ask the seller to make changes or give you a credit against the cost of repairs at closing. After you purchase a house, a report will help you prioritize repairs and improvements, as well as prepare for upgrades.

Final Walk Through

Test absolutely everything in the house to make sure there are no loose ends. Test light switches, sockets, windows, doors, faucets, toilets, everything! If there are any problems, bring it up to the current owner to have those problems resolved before close.

Close and Move In

Congratulations, it’s yours! Now time to load up the moving van and move into your awesome new home!