Pre- Qualification: Meet with a mortgage broker and find out how much you can afford to invest for your new home.

Pre- Approval: While knowing how much you can afford is the first step, sellers will be much more receptive to potential buyers who have been pre-approved. You also will avoid being disappointed when going after the homes you are interested in that may be out of your price range. With Pre- Approval, the buyer actually applies for a mortgage and receives a commitment in writing from a lender. This way, assuming the home you're interested in is at or under the amount you are pre-qualified for, the seller knows immediately that you are a serious buyer for their home. Costs for pre-approvals are generally nominal and lenders will usually permit you to pay them when you close your loan.

List of Needs & Wants: Make 2 lists. The first should include items you must have (i.e., the desired bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage,etc.). The second list is your wishes, things you would like to have (Backyard, Pool, additional upgrades,etc.) but that aren't absolutely necessary. Realistically for first-time buyers, you probably won't get everything on your wish list, but it will keep you on track for what you're looking for.

Representation by a Professional: Consider hiring your own real estate agent, one who is working for you and specializes in your needs.

Focus & Organization: In a convenient location, keep handy the items that will assist you in maximizing your home search efforts. Such items may include:

- One or more detailed maps with your areas of interests highlighted.
- A file of the homes that your agent has shown to you, along with setup sheets and photos.
- Paper and pen, for taking notes as you search.
- Take pictures to help refresh your memory on individual homes.
- Location: Look at potential homes as if you are the seller. Would a prospective buyer find it attractive based on curb appeal, school districts, crime rate, proximity to positives (shopping, parks, freeway access), and negatives (abandoned properties, garbage dump, source of noise) features of the area?

Be Objective: When searching for your new home ask yourself the following questions. Does this home really meet your needs? Does it financially make sense? Be Thorough: A few extra dollars well spent now may save you big expenses in the long run. Don't forget such essentials as:

- Include inspection & mortgage contingencies in your written offer.
- Have the property inspected by a professional inspector.
- Check to see that no changes have been made that weren't agreed on (i.e., closing cost, repairs, etc.). All the above may seem rather overwhelming. That's why having a professional represent you and keep track of all the details for you is highly recommended. Please email us or call us directly to discuss any of these matters in further detail.

Enclosed information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed.

Richard and Alina Staffieri from Alam Realty know and understand that when you are buying your first home, this is a major milestone in your life and also one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. That is why our company is glad to be here to guide you through the process with our first-time home buyer guide, which is guaranteed to contain expert knowledge, personalized service, and complete transparency.

What Our First-Time Buyer Guide Contains

• Pre-qualification

The first step that you need to take when you are a first-time home buyer is to meet with a professional and trusted mortgage broker and find out how much you can afford to invest in your new home.

• Pre-Approval

Once you have an idea of how much you can afford, sellers will then be more receptive to potential buyers, like you, who have been pre-approved. Through this, you will also be able to avoid being disappointed when going after the homes you are interested in but are out of your price range.

This is because with pre-approval, the buyer, who is you, will apply for a mortgage, and you will receive a commitment in writing from a lender. This way, when the home you are interested in is at or under the amount that you are pre-qualified for, the seller will know immediately that you are a serious buyer of their home. Moreover, the costs for pre-approvals are generally nominal, and lenders will usually permit you to pay them when you close your loan.

• List of Needs and Wants

The third step you need to take if your question is how to buy your first home in Hesperia, CA, is to make 2 lists. One list for your needs and another for your wants. In the list of your needs, you must include all items that your home must have, like your desired bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, and others.

In the list of your wants, make sure to add all the things you would like to have for your home, but are not really necessary, like a backyard, a pool, additional upgrades, and others. For first-time buyers, realistically, you probably won’t get everything on your wish list. But the list you made will keep you on track for what you’re looking for.

• Representation by a Professional

The fourth step on the list of Richard and Alina Staffieri from Alam Realty’s first-time home buyer guide is to consider hiring your real estate agent. Make sure to choose and hire someone who will work with you and who specializes in your needs.

• Focus and Organization

The fifth step you should take as a first-time home buyer is to focus and organize. See to it that in a convenient location, you keep handy items that will assist you in maximizing your home search efforts. Here are the items that you should keep handy.

• One or more detailed maps with your areas of interest highlighted.
• A file of the homes that your agent has shown to you, along with setup sheets and photos.
• Paper and pen, for taking notes as you search.
• Take pictures to help refresh your memory on individual homes.
• Location: Look at potential homes as if you are the seller. Would a prospective buyer find it attractive based on curb appeal, school districts, crime rate, proximity to positives (shopping, parks, freeway access), and negatives (abandoned properties, garbage dump, source of noise) features of the area?

• Be Objective

Lastly, when you are searching for your new home, ask yourself the following questions. “Does this home meet my needs?”, “Does it financially make sense?” Make sure to be thorough, because a few extra dollars well spent now may save you big expenses in the long run. Don't forget the following essentials.

• Include inspection and mortgage contingencies in your written offer.
• Have the property inspected by a professional inspector.
• Check to see that no changes have been made that weren't agreed on, like closing costs, repairs, etc. All the above may seem rather overwhelming. That is why having a professional to represent you and keep track of all the details for you is highly recommended.

Contact Us Today

Let Richard and Alina Staffieri from Alam Realty help you start your homeownership journey today through our first-time home buyer guide. Contact us at (760) 780-7651 to schedule an appointment and learn more about how to buy your first home. We will be more than happy to be your guide from start to finish, because your dream home is our priority.