Hello Travis,

I would be glad to help you with your questions. First off my name is Joe and im a partner at Roseland Mortgage Inc. and I also am a personal broker. Now being a first time buyer its very hard to get mixed up in all the paper work and excitment of buying your home. What you want to do is get in contact with a personal mortgage broker to help walk you through one on one and to make you comfortable with what you are doing. After you find what you are approved for then get a real estate agent for the purchace of the home or you can do it your self. Please feel free to contact me Phone:302-260-2015 or by E-mail jricacn@yahoo.com and go to my web site and take a look around. Look forward to talking with you soon. Good luck

Hi Travis, what you are doing is "Homework". Asking 3rd parties like this is a great way to start. I hold several buyers seminars in PA periodically and one of the main points is get as much information as you can. Most answers have stated to use a "Realtor", that is the best place to start. There is such thing as buyers representation now and you as a first time home buyer need to take full advantage of that. To answer your question about where to get a loan you should look in the local market you are planning to buy in. The local banks will be there to help you in every way they can. You may want to start with your local bank or a reputable mortgage company in your area. The local real estate magazines have a good number of local lenders. The reason I say local is because you can meet with them and they can explain all the fees and loan process. A realtor in the area in which you are looking to buy will also be a great help in explaining the process and help you when it comes to negotiating things like lender fees and purchase price. You should interview several agents in the area and find one you are comfortable working with and one you think will be aggressive in negotiations. By working with ONE agent to represent you they will have YOUR best interest in mind. We as Realtors have a fudiciary duty to our clients, some agents will go above and beyond others to help you. I work with buyers, especailly first time home buyers and I make sure they understand the process and fees and loan entirely. Feel Free to contact me with any questions you may have. It doesn't cost a thing for questions!!
Cindy Dine
The Sold Team
Century 21 Heritage
717-757-9487 ext. 359.

Travis,

Doing your homework if you never bought a house can involve alot of different things. I truly believe in first and foremost before you do ANYTHING you need to get pre-approved. I get very dissapointed when I get a client who says they are ready to put in an offer and only come to find out they aren't approved. After being approved they will give you a pre-approval amount but that doesn't mean you may be comfortable with that payment as they don't consider things like electric, cell phone, gas, insurance, etc. So figure out a payment your comfortable with. ASK questions if you don't understand. Thats our job as professionals. Once you've been pre-approved and figured out a good payment find a good realtor. One that is willing to answer all your questions and that is readily availalbe. Again ASK questions if you don't understand. Once you put your mortgage professional and realtor together they SHOULD be able to walk you through the whole process from A-Z answering all your questions and making you very comfortable with the whole transaction so that your experience is pleasant. Should you need any further assistance please feel free to contact me 800-839-6186x334 as we also have an office in York.

One of the most basic things that all those sites related was to find a good REALTOR member of the MLS--that is, make a buyer's agency agreement. Once you do this, you will have the guidance and a source for answers to your questions.

Travis,
To different people "doing your homework" may take on different meanings but our take is the following:

1. examine your budget to determine what you can realistically afford to pay for a home
2. get pre qualified for a loan-placing an offer on a home you like having been pre-qualified carries weight
3. find an agent to work with
4. identify your tagget locations
5. research the area-what are the comps for recently sold homes in each location
6. identify choice homes
7. research choice homes-how long has the owner liver here? what did they pay for the home?
8. Put together your offer

Hope this is helpful. Good luck....
The "Eckler Team"
Century 21 Almar and Associates
Venice, Fl 34285
ecklerteam@comcast.net
941-408-5363

Travis
There are so many things that get overlooked when buying a home. It can be a very stressful process, expecially if you have never done it before. I always like to sit down with my clients before we really get into things and explain what is going to happen from start to finish so they know what to expect. I never like to leave anyone in the dark. Most of the people I work with are first time homebuyers and know very little if not anything about what they are about to do. I explain everything from what every line of the contract means, to how we are going to handle the home inspection, to their mortgage, and what will occur at settlement. Those are just some of the things I go over with clients so they feel prepared and educated. You need a Realtor who won't leave you in the dark. Let me know if you have any questions.
Trisha

Purchasing a house will probably be your largest undertaking and shouldn't be entered into lightly. It should be smooth and stress free from start to finish. The best way to ensure this is to ASK QUEStIONS. In Real Estate there is no such thing as a dumb question. There are many steps for the buyer to take. Start with researching several Realtors in your area. Check their credentials and years of experience. NOT ALL REALTORS ARE CREATED EQUALLY! Get references of their past clients and contact them. Personality may not seem important...but if you don't get along with your agent.....what good are they when it comes down to negotiating the best deal for you. Choose one that you like. Secondly you need to know how much you can afford NOT HOW MUCH YOU THINK YOU CAN. Do your homework continues with researching mortgage companies and banks for the best loan fit for you. After you choose one you'll need to get them to write you a letter of pre-approval BEFORE YOU LOOK FOR PROPERTY. Before you meet with either the Realtor or a financial institute .....come prepared with a list of questions that you need answered. Then PLEASE choose and work with ONLY ONE REALTOR.....if a Realtor has your loyalty they will work harder and more exclusively with you, they already know what you like and don't like in a property quickly so your time is not wasted.... and more importantly that you don't miss a great listing looking at a house that doesn't meet your search criteria. Working as a team with your Realtor is the very best way to find your special place.....you need to participate. Communication is everything. Happy hunting!

I have a first time buyer class that you can read over on line. It may be of some help to you. I can send it to you if you give me your e mail address. If I where you call a few good mortgage companys and start asking questions. Let them know this is your first time doing buying a home and you need to find out about the whole loan process and cost involved. if the person you are talking to rushes you or does not answer your questions call anther. I have several companys that I use as a Realtor that maybe a fit for you. If you have good credit the world is at your hands. II your credit is not the best you will need to look into the FHA program. this is a goverment backed loan and will work with you and credit issues. Let me know if you want me to send along some phone numbers..
Sounds like you are on the right track by asking questions. Just make sure you are asking the right person the right question. Mortgage companys will and can help you with the nuts and bolts of a loan. If said mortgage company wants to have you as a buyer soon they will take the time to answer your questions. A good Realtor can answer the buying process from getting the listings to you, looking at property, writing contracts,inspections, closing cost , settlement, insurance, and so on....Call a few agents and interview them . Find one that seems like a good fit for you. I am avalable to help you in any way. Just ask me some questions and i will answer them for you.Help is always just a click away.Good Luck.

Find a few local agents and ask them all of your questions. There is no charge for this. Interview them since you are spending a lot of money. Any agent would be happy to talk to you and answer your questions. You can even insist on a phone call for the first meeting to get a feel for who you are talking to.
Take your time, ask a lot of questions. Be careful about talking to relatives and friends. They will often give you bad advice. If I needed braces, I wouldn't ask my brother-in-law, except for a reference. Ask a professional.