Financial Check-Up in Tulsa and Oklahoma City
First, get your finances in order. Unless you are paying cash for a home, you will need to obtain a mortgage. While mortgage lending rules have loosened a little recently, you will still want to have all your money matters straightened out and tidy before you sit down with a loan officer (even a virtual one). Request a copy of your credit report to make sure you have not been a victim of identity theft, and confirm all your bills have been paid in a timely fashion. If you see something that doesn't appear right, contact the credit reporting agency to report erroneous information.
It's definitely a great idea to get pre-approved for a mortgage. In some areas of the country the real estate market never slows down, and you want to be ready to submit an offer on a residence when you find it. These days, a lot of sellers will not even acknowledge an offer without a pre-approval from a lender. Do not muddle up a pre-approval and a pre-qualification; the pre-approval says that your credit and income are already okay--sometimes already underwritten--with the lender, you just need to find a house. A pre-qualification says that they perused your credit report and if all other factors line up then they'll consider a loan.
I Want....
You want everything in your new home—the best schools, outdoor kitchen, open floor plan, modern landscaping, privacy, friendly neighbors, and low real estate taxes. It is likely that you're going to need to make some adjustments somewhere, so proceed and compile your wants list and your needs list, and see where the two intersect. Regardless of your budget you are not going to get everything you want, so pay closest attention to on your needs. If you need to be in a certain school district, or you need to be within a certain mileage of the airport, or you have five kids and need five bedrooms, those non-negotiables should be at the top of your list. House-hunting is the ultimate Goldilocks experience, so don't even bother with homes that are too big or tiny, too far off the beaten track, or out of your price range.
It should go without saying, but needs to be said anyway, that your significant other must agree with the needs and the wants. If you want a large yard and your spouse would be happy with a high-rise, work out those specifics before your realtor turns into a marriage counselor.
A Great Real Estate Agent in Tulsa and Oklahoma City
A wonderful real estate agent is not the one who is a "million-dollar producer" (this could mean she sold ten houses in ten years) or whose face is all over billboards. A great realtor is the one that you feel like you can develop a comfortable working relationship with--after all, you're going to be spending a lot of time together, and she will be acting on your behalf in a large financial transaction. Find someone who's easy to talk to, that you can trust, and who really listens to what you're saying--if your limit is $350,000, she should respect that.
Your responsibility when you are interviewing realtors is to be honest about your budget and your expectations. If you've been pre-approved for $600,000, do not misuse your time or your realtor's looking at houses in the $700,000s. If you're relocating and have one weekend to house hunt, plan so that your realtor has blocked out the time just for you.
The internet makes house hunting so easy, you may find yourself falling in love and making an offer sight unseen. In that event, ask Santa to put some boxes in your stocking.
