Atlanta is a fabulous city to live in, and if you plan on buying a home here, you’re making a wise choice. To make the process simple and less stressful, follow our five steps for buying a home in Atlanta. As you check off the list, you’ll continue to get one step closer to your new Atlanta home.
Check Your Credit Score
If your credit score is not where it should be, save yourself the headache of trying to get a mortgage and fix the credit score first. Anything can happen in life—divorce, job loss, health issues—and cause your credit to plummet. Unfortunately, poor credit makes it difficult to buy a home unless you’re paying cash. Thankfully, credit scores are repairable. Speak with a credit repair specialist before you fall in love with a house and only start the hunt after you’ve repaired the credit.
Have Cash on Hand
Before securing approval for a loan and making an offer on a home, you will still need to secure more money. A down payment along with closing costs is required for most home purchases. As one of the five steps for buying a home in Atlanta, have an account ready to use for any extra cash you’ll need during the home buying process.
Seek Approval
When it’s time to make an offer, having a pre-approval in hand helps beat out any competition from those who are offering without approval. Once you’ve repaired your credit and saved up for your down payment and closing costs, it’s time to meet with a loan officer and get that pre-approval letter so that sellers know you’re serious.
Know What You Want
Heading out to house hunt is overwhelming when you have no idea what you’re looking for. It’s helpful to create a list of your home needs and keep it with you as you house hunt. This helps you avoid buying a house that won’t work well for you. It’s easy to convince ourselves that a house will suit us even when it has fewer bedrooms than we planned on or the kitchen is too small. Keep searching until you get what you want. Here are a few things to add to your list of needs:
- How many bedrooms do you need?
- How many bathrooms do you need?
- Do you want a finished or unfinished basement?
- How many cars do you need to fit into the garage? Would you like it to be attached to the main home?
- How often do you plan to cook in the kitchen?
- Would you prefer a separate dining room?
Those are some questions to get you started. Each family has its own needs, so plan accordingly.
Research Neighborhoods
Atlanta is a big city with many different areas. Drive around the neighborhoods, get information on schools, and take test drives to and from work to see which area of Atlanta you should settle in. This will save you and your real estate agent time since you won’t have to look in neighborhoods that don’t fit your needs.
We hope our list of five steps for buying a home in Atlanta is helpful when you begin your home search. Buying a new home is an exciting time and can truly be enjoyable when done correctly. Voted, “Best in Georgia,” Excalibur Homes knows Atlanta well and has all of the information you need about Atlanta real estate for sale. Contact us today—let’s get you started on those five steps so you can move into the home of your dreams.
