
 
        
         
		TO OWNING YOUR OWN HOME 10 STEPS 
 Home ownership is part of the American  
 dream. To ensure you live happily ever  
 after, consider these helpful ideas  
 on your journey to ownership. 
 1 CHECK YOUR  
 CREDIT SCORE 
 A good credit score will  
 get you a good interest  
 rate, whereas a great credit  
 score will get you a great one.  
 But make sure you check your  
 credit score for mistakes. 
 2 CREATE A BUDGET 
 To move from dream to  
 reality, you must figure  
 out what your needs are  
 and what you can afford.  
 3 HIRE A REALTOR® 
 A REALTOR® knows the  
 market and can show you  
 a portfolio of properties  
 and can refer you to lenders,  
 appraisers, title companies  
 and home inspectors. 
 4 DETERMINE   
 YOUR LOCATION 
 Before looking at houses,  
 consider where you  
 want to live. Assess factors like  
 convenience, work commute,  
 school options and sense   
 of safety.  
 5 SHOP FOR A  
 MORTGAGE 
 Prequalifying is the  
 best place to begin  
 the home buying process. It is  
 your ticket to putting an offer  
 on the right house for you.  
 6 MAKE TIME FOR  
 OPEN HOUSES 
 If you want to find a  
 house quickly, keep your  
 schedule open to take advantage  
 of opportunities that may not last.  
 7 SIGN A CONTRACT 
 Once you have found a  
 home you want to buy, it is  
 time to agree on a price and  
 sign a contract. You might be able  
 to negotiate with the seller on the  
 price or extras, like appliances and  
 other goodies, and usually you have  
 to put some earnest money down. 
 8 GET AN INSPECTION   
 Home buyers often rely on  
 REALTORS® to recommend  
 home inspectors. Even so,  
 buyers should check credentials  
 and read reviews themselves.  
 9 NEGOTIATE  
 ANY REPAIRS 
 The inspection report may  
 turn up some problems with  
 the home — but, keep in mind, not  
 all repairs are created equal. There  
 can be major issues or minor ones.  
 10 CLOSE ON   
 YOUR HOUSE 
 The is the final step in  
 home ownership. Before  
 you actually close, ask for a final  
 walkthrough to make sure all the  
 agreed-upon repairs were made.  
 discover the space coast    real estate 
 72 : DISCOVER THE SPACECOAST 2022