By Gnifrus Urquart


Buying a home is an exciting process full of ups and downs, loves and hates, dreams and reality. Purchasing your first place can be a little intimidating when you're not sure how to go about it. Being prepared is an essential part of being successful and eliminating some of the stress.

Before you buy anything, you need to know whether you can afford it. Check with a lender to see how much you will qualify for. There is no sense scoping out and falling in love with a house that's double what your'e able to pay.

Once you get the budget figured out, drive around some areas which interest you. Find out how far it is to work, the store, school or to the nearest highway. Location is a major factor in selecting the perfect piece of real estate, the areas you love may tend to be a bit too pricey, so know your market.

When you fall in love with an area that's out of your price range, it may be difficult to part from that dream unless you are willing to downsize. A condo or apartment conversion is a great option and tends to be a little more affordable. If you can't live in a condo, then you'll have to find a new dream neighborhood.

Now that you picked out an area, it's time to go down the list of must haves. Just because you created a list, does not mean you'll get everything on your list. If you need a yard for pets and outdoor living, can you give up the guest room and make it part of the office? These are the difficult questions you have to ask yourself so prepare your necessities before you get started.

A lot of people choose to buy homes which need a lot of fixing up and remodeling. These homes are cheaper and can be customized into exactly what they want. If this is for you, make sure you are capable of handling the construction aspect of the job and stick to the dollar amount you set.

Now that you've been educated about buying a home, start looking at ones you would love to live in. You may see something in each house that you love, or even hate. Stick to the rules you set up for yourself and keep an eye on overall costs. This can be a bit of a roller coaster ride so buckle up and enjoy the highs.




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