need to take before the home-search process to ensure you’re financially prepared to make the jump into homeownership: + + Improve your credit score. + + Start saving up for a down payment and closing costs. + + Build up your savings account. + + Please ensure that you have official pre-approval for a home loan before visiting properties and placing an offer. If you work with a qualified buyer’s agent, then they will help you make sure everything is in order. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting the seller’s time, the agent’s time, and your own time if you make an offer, enter into a contract, and only then learn that the bank won’t lend you what you need for a down payment and mortgage. MISTAKE #2: NOT CONDUCTING A HOME INSPECTION Don’t make the mistake of relying on the seller to let you know that a home inspection has already been completed on their end, and tell you what the home’s issues are. Some sellers are sneaky and don’t reveal some of the property’s problems, whether minor or major. First-time buyers assume this means they don’t need to conduct their own professional home inspection, but this is not recommended. Yes, it takes time, and yes, there’s a cost, but it could cost you a whole lot more if you skip this step. Before closing on the sale, you need to know for yourself everything about the property’s condition. This means that you need to hire a reputable and qualified inspector to conduct a professional home inspection. This inspection will reveal any structural or system-related issues, anything from structural integrity problems in the foundation, walls, or roofing, as
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