The Process of Buying a Home in Austin Texas
Where do you start? That’s a logical question, right? How and where you start the home buying process depends on a number of variables. First and foremost, when do you need to move? Your time line for moving will have the biggest impact on what you need to do.
If you have more than say, six months until you need to move (house to sell, existing lease, job transfer etc..) then you can take a more leisurely approach to house hunting. You can take some time to gather information, investigate neighborhoods that you might like to live in and explore all different types of home financing. On the flip side, if you need to move now (next 60-90 days), you’ll need to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
Where Do You Think You Are in the Home Buying Process?
Here is some insight into what you can do at each stage to put yourself in the best position for a successful home purchase. I firmly believe that an informed and educated consumer always makes the best decisions in the long run. Located where you are in the home buying process below and get started.
I’M JUST LOOKING: Perhaps you just signed a one year lease renewal hoping to save some money to put down on your first home purchase in the next year. Maybe you are relocating from out of state and you are trying to decide amongst a couple of different locations, including Austin, TX. Maybe the idea of home ownership had never crossed your mind until recently and you are just curious where you would start if you did in fact start to look into buying a home. If I was thinking about potentially buying a home in the Austin area in the next year or so, this is what I would do. Read: How to prepare when you are still at least a year away from buying.
I’M READY TO EXPLORE: You have a general sense about when you plan to move into your new house. Hopefully, you have at least explored your preliminary qualifications for purchasing a home. If so, then you probably have a decent idea about the type and amount of home loan that you will be working with. Armed with that information, you can take further steps towards narrowing your search down to particular areas and neighborhoods. Read: What to do when you still have about 6 months til you need to move.
I NEED TO SELL BEFORE I CAN BUY: Have you decided that your current needs have outgrown the size of your current home? Or perhaps the kids are out of the house and its time to downsize to something more manageable. Either way, let me show you how you can potentially save thousands of dollars when you purchase your next home. My Home Buyer Incentive programs can potentially save you thousands when you go to purchase your your new home. Read: Austin Texas Move Up Home Buyer Programs
IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS: How long will it actually take you to find the home you want to buy? If you already have your home financing lined up and you have done your preliminary research on the area that you want to live in, this process can be done in less than 2 months. However, typically its a 3-4 month process from start to finish. If you’ve completed the steps that I outlined in the 12 month and 6 month preparation stages then its time to get serious about your home search. Read: What you need to do now to be in your new house in the next 3-4 months.
I FOUND THE HOUSE I WANT TO BUY: The stars are aligning. You started from day one with a general idea about where you wanted to end up. You did your preliminary research. You put yourself in a good position to make an intelligent purchase decision. You narrowed your list of homes, you toured and took notes. You whittled it down to two or three houses. You’ve seen them a couple of times now and you keep coming back to THE one. Read: Now that you’ve found the house you want to buy, what’s the next step?
DOWN THE HOME STRETCH: Congratulations, your house is under contract. You are just a few short weeks away from becoming a home owner. Follow these final steps to ensure that your purchase stays on track for a successful closing. Read: Preparing for the Big Day
