Buying a house in Ohio or Oregon can be both an exciting and overwhelming time. Purchasing a home will be the largest financial investment that you ever make and requires serious consideration and research. Buying a home is not the type of purchase that you can do on the fly, it’s a huge decision that must be made carefully and with the right guidance.
The real estate market across the country can be reflected in the prices that you will find in Ohio. Right now, with inflated property values, it is definitely a seller’s market. While you may end up paying premium prices for a home during this type of market fluctuation, there are still basic steps that you will need to follow.
Before you start throwing out offers on properties that catch your eye, it’s best to take a step back and make sure that you are following the advice of someone that knows the area and the market trends better than you. Let’s take a look at the basic steps you need to take when buying a home in Ohio.
Pre-Approval
For homebuyers, especially those that are buying a home for the first time, it’s an advantage to get a pre-approval letter from your financial institution. Your bank or lender will take a look at your general finances including your debt, income, and savings to determine what amount they are willing to lend you on a mortgage. Getting preapproved for a mortgage gives you and the home sellers the confidence that you can afford to make a fair offer.
Choose a Location
Once you have an idea of where your budget is, you can start shopping for a home. Your first decision will be where you would like to live. Are you interested in an established neighborhood? Do you want to be in the heart of the city, or do you prefer a more rural location? All of these questions will need to be addressed. Once you decide on a general location, you can start pricing out different properties.
Make an Offer
Once you have found a property that you like, you can work with your agent to put in an offer. Once your offer is placed, you will need to wait for a response from the seller. They may come back with a counter offer, or you may end up embroiled in a bidding war with another interested party. Your realtor will help you navigate these situations.
Inspections and Appraisals
Once you have an accepted offer on a property, it’s time to ensure that you are getting everything that you are paying for. You will need to bring in a team of inspectors to ensure that the home has no major problems, and an appraiser to evaluate the worth of the property.
Buying a new home in Ohio can be a very exciting time. Make sure that you do your homework and surround yourself with a team that can help you to move through the process with confidence.