Please Be Gentle; It's My First Time! Fullerton Real Estate

First timers - I love them! They are excited and starry eyed....about buying their first home. I work with so many first time buyers and last week when I started receiving more email inquiries than usual, I figured it would be a good idea to put a little "Where to Start" article together.

The first place you should start is by talking to a lender (you thought I was going to say Realtor® didn't you?). You really need to find out what your buying power is. Most first timers are a little shocked when they look at all the numbers, the down payment, the monthly payment, mortgage insurance, taxes, etc...

There are also some other important numbers, your fico scores (credit grade) and income. It could be that you might have a late payment showing up or might need to save up a little more money before you start looking and a good lender will help you figure all this out.

Concurrent to shopping for a mortgage professional, you should also be searching for a real estate agent. Your Realtor® should be:

• A full time, hard-working professional
• Fully aware of market local conditions and available financingAssociated with a reputable real estate firm
• Willing to tell you the truth and not whatever it takes to sell the home.Associated with a strong team of lenders, inspection companies and other real estate service professionals.

So many first timers are looking for that sweet little Downtown Fullerton starter home or a house in a Fullerton neighborhood with great schools. Unfortunately for buyers, living in Fullerton does come at a premium so knowing what you can afford and finding a local, assertive Realtor® that can help you navigate through the process will make all the difference in the world.

Buying a house is a scary and exciting process. It is most likely the largest investment of your life so who you choose to help you along the way is critical.

So where do you find the all knowing and oh so important real estate agent and lender?
1. The number one way is by referral! Talk to the folks that you trust to see who they trust. 2. Choose a local expert - if they are the local expert with a good reputation then they know about the homes that are coming on the market before they hit the market! This is huge when we are seeing multiple offers in the starter price range in nice Fullerton neighborhoods.
3. Yelp Them!
For more information on the buying process, a lender referral or a free "Home Buyer's Guide", please contact me. I am happy to help.

For more information on how to research your potential real estate agent, please go to: http://cristaldrake.com/?p=262