Buying your first home can be a life-changing experience filled with excitement, nerves, and emotions. And in a competitive seller’s market, being prepared and playing your cards right are the secrets to purchasing that sought-after dream home.

Here are a couple of home-buying tips that will help you as a first-time home buyer.

1. Determine What Kind of Home You Want
Finding the type of home that best suits your needs early on helps to narrow down your search effectively. Some of your options include a residential acreage, a single-family home, a townhouse, or a condo.

Aside from determining your home search, knowing precisely the type of home you are looking for allows you to think about how you will finance it.

2. Identify the Must-Have Features You Want in Your Home
What do you want in your dream home? It could range from basic features and neighborhoods to a gourmet kitchen or a wine cellar.

Note specific features you want in your home, then categorize them into must-haves and negotiables. It is important to leave some room for flexibility and compromise here.

3. Recognize How Much Mortgage You Qualify for and How Much You Can Actually Afford
When you are buying a home, I highly recommend securing your financing and pre-approval early on. Getting an idea of how much you can get approved for allows you to set realistic goals and expectations.

How much you can afford is a different thing. Aside from the mortgage, consider all the other factors that go into buying and maintaining a home. This includes your down payment, property taxes, home insurance, closing costs, and so on.

I would love to help you find your first home in the Norfolk and Northeast Nebraska area. Get in touch with me, Robin Jones, at (402) 750-6683 (MOVE) to learn more about real estate today!