You’ve made the decision to buy a home, but now what? There are a few steps I recommend my buyers take before they get serious about a home search.

First, get your finances in order. Find a lender you trust and run the numbers. Your lender can serve as a valuable resource to you and should be able to help determine what you can comfortably afford. If you plan to make an offer on a home soon, this is the time to get pre-approved. This can really speed up the offering process, as many sellers won’t consider a contract without proof that financing is in place.

Next, when you’re searching online, keep this mortgage calculator from Reece & Nichols bookmarked. With your loan information, you can enter figures for homes you’re interested in to ensure they are within your budget. Your agent can also help give you an idea of what homes in the area are really selling for by looking at comps.

Once you’ve done some of this leg work, you can move quickly with your purchase. Check out my real estate app to help you find homes in your desired neighborhoods. The app puts our home search tools right in the palm of your hand – including a feature called Home Scan that uses technology along with your device’s GPS and compass to overlay property information onto your live camera feed. You can literally scan your surroundings for homes for sale and view radar display to show direction and proximity from your current location.

If I can help you or someone you know with a home purchase, please let me know. I can be reached any time at (913) 980-2434. Happy house-hunting!!