believe me, it concerns me, too ......as I sit here, at times, cringing at some of the answers I read here, but what can you do?

"..(and when they come to trulia, they get to hear from fabulous people like us !) "

It's the not so fabulous people they hear from that concerns me ; )

troublemaker, Dunes? nah not you!

actually, I usually give the same repsonse, too........ in this case I was just responding to the question of whether one should go to a lender OR an agent first. to start the process when they have no idea of what is going on - which should come first. between those 2 choices......I feel at least an agent , fabulous or otherwise, can give then an overview of the process, and suggest a lender......it's a start., and then the lender can give them an overview of the mortgage process and an idea of where they stand financially.......................however........I agree with you (and concur, too ! :) ) that certainly everyone should do whatever they can to educate themselves......the internet is a great place to start........(and when they come to trulia, they get to hear from fabulous people like us !)
Have a great day!

If you give an answer to an old question how does it become a new answer to an old question instead of just a repetition of the same ol answers to an old question? ; )

Two years ago or now if a person does not first become informed enough about the process so they are able to select a good Agent (Yes there are Bad Agents) to represent/assist them, then going to an Agent or Lender first could be a costly mistake and has been for a good number of people.

Just going to an Agent as if all Agents were good is just as silly as picking any other Service Provider blindly and this selection concerns large financial obligations and decisions....

Not all Agents are members of NAR (Realtors). There are Good Agents and Bad Agents that belong to NAR just as there are Good Agents and Bad Agents that do not belong to NAR....

Being informed is the Consumers best option in protecting their interests and attaining their goals.

See, old questions get the same ol answer from me ; )

Troublemaker guy, Dunes

Jim - I saw this question pop up on the "active" list, and didn't realize how old it was until I read your post......I have often mistakenly answered old questions without realizing it....I always forget to check that date underneath the question!

Anyway...........I just wanted to comment on your comment....I often see agents tell a new buyer who is asking for advice...to "find a lender"....that's easy for us to say, as we have lenders popping up all over the place.....but to a newbie, they may have no idea where to go for that, other than their friendly local bank.
So..........my "what comes first, the chicken or the egg " is.................first, .find a Realtor (no r in a circle) ...as .we're easy to find! Stop in a local ofice and have a conversation with an agent who can walk a new buyer thru the process, AND, at the same time, refer them to a lender for pre-qualifying. I am in a large company, so we have an in-house person ready to help...but I think it's easier for someone new to buying a home to find one of "us" first......then talk to a financial person....All of this can be so overwhelming......we're used to holding people's hands...........and that's what a new buyer needs.

See....these old questions can still be new!

Rodney, Dude. read the year on the posting, man. This is a TWO YEAR old question. 2007

. oh, while you were the FIRST to specifically say hire someone (REALTOR) who knows the market your interested in"

" talk to a realtor® in your area " from Carole Cohen, two years ago, was pretty close to saying the same thing, and she wasn't even trying to drum up business for herself in that post. She was just trying to be helpful. I say trying. I did not agree with her and still don't. Chicken comes first or egg? Nothing wrong with talking to the Realtor first and the lender second. In fact I would prefer it if my California clients came to me first and found a lender second.

Carol even used the little r in a circle. How neat was that?

Kerri,

As an agent who has lived and worked in Converse for over 7 years now, allow me the first to say "hire someone (REALTOR) who knows the market your interested in". This could save you thousands of dollars.

Rodney

Carole and Bruce provided the best advice so far, so I'll just address the last part of your question.

Whether to build or buy and existing home is a dilemma that few of us are likely to be able to address intelligently without getting to know a great deal more about you. The fact that you asked the question suggests however that it is an option that appeals to you. If your desires, demands and expectations are pretty exacting and clear in your mind, it's an option you should explore further. If you are simply looking for a good home that is also a good value, contact an agent and enter into a buyer representation agreement with the agent.

My Web site will tell you a lot about me. Let me know if I can help.

1. Get Prequalified with a lender.
2. Find an agent to help you.
3. Determine a list of priorities based on your price range.
4. Determine when you want to move.
5. Start looking at homes with your realtor

Hi Kerry. You should first start your home search on Realtor.com or if you have a preferred agent, he/she should have a website where all the homes in the MLS will be listed. As far as your second question, that would depend on how much patients you have. Good Luck.

If you have the money, the next question is to decide what type of house do you want and then see if the market has it. Getting a builder to build one typically takes a little more money, a lot more time via the city approval process and the loan options are a little more expensive.

I take a different approach. The first thing I would do if I were you is talk with a lender in your area. Find out what you 'qualify' to buy, what price Then think about what your comfort level is. Are you qualified to buy at 250k? Then you can look at homes in that price range or less. If you are qualified to purchase a 250k home but feel that would not leave you money for expenses, travel, etc, then decide on a price range that makes you more comfortable. Once you get qualified, THEN talk to a realtor® in your area and find out what home prices have been, etc. But I think the mortgage approval is the first step.

There are 184 homes listed in Trulia in Converse Texas.. That is a good start.

If you have a good contractor, you can customize your new home to approximately suit your needs.
Building new usually costs a bit more than buying used, it also takes a much longer time.

If it were me I'd look about for existing homes first, there might be one that already exists that is pretty close to just right.