Here is an article by a friend about the home buying process. Not only can the novice real estate investor benefit from this article, but for a more experienced investor it allows the opportunity to take a step back and look at this process from the other end of the table to gain some perspective…

Buying a house marks a new beginning. How do you know that you’re getting your dream house and not straining your credit limit? Read through the points below to get the answer.

Get yourself a “pre-approved” certificate from a lender.

This certificate gives the seller the assurance that you have enough money to buy their property. Securing a Pre-Approved certificate could take from a few days to a few weeks depending on the status of the request. But it’s worth the trouble of waiting since it increases the chances of you are getting the best deal in the market.

Consider selling your home first.

Selling a property (if you have one) before acquiring a new one would also help. It is because paying for the property upfront could get you a great discount. It is because some property owners think about either selling to a prospective buyer who would buy the property at once, or waiting for a buyer to sell his present property before buying the new one. And in most cases, the seller would not pass up on the chance of having their property bought up at once.

Know what you want.

It all comes down to knowing what you want. Sticking to that is the key to successfully acquiring your dream house. Upon seeing different houses, you will see a whole new picture of everything. But do any of them satisfy what you want in the first place?

At the onset, you may be in awe of the beautifully manicured lawns of a certain estate, but attached to it is the responsibility of maintenance. More so if you’re not really into gardening. It would only cost you more to pay for someone to look after it or suffer the sight of a brown drying lawn. Stick to the basics and what you originally planned on buying.

Don’t be misled by advertisements.

Advertisements only contain positive things about a property. That is why it’s called an advertisement. Many things are left out in putting up an ad. It would not say that crime rates have been high recently or that the neighborhood is plagued by gangsters.

Check out the house itself. Does it suit your needs? Is it well ventilated? Is the house well-built? It will be your haven for a number of years so be sure that it is comfortable to the occupant.

Consider the resale value of the estate.

Things change. Most likely there will come a time that you will have to sell your home. Know how long it will take to sell the estate in the future. Knowing how long the “for sale” sign has already been sitting in the front yard would give you enough knowledge about the market pacing.

Armed with this knowledge of home buying, you should be well on your way to finding the perfect house and making it your home.