step one: determine your purchasing power
before you begin home shopping, it helps to figure out your budget. that way there are no surprises later and you can fully enjoy home ownership rather than look at is as a burden.

step two: pre-qualification
pre-qualifying for a particular home loan amount helps your realtor focus your home search so that you will be looking just at homes within your price range. in fact, many realtors require either a pre-qualification letter or a certificate of pre-approval before showing homes. pre-qualification begins by speaking with your lender and providing such information as your income and current debts. you won’t have to supply any supporting documentation until you actually start the home loan process. the lender simply uses this information to quickly determine how much you can afford to borrow.

step three: pre-approval
a certificate of pre-approval is the best way of demonstrating your ability to purchase a home. pre-approval offers are also given stronger consideration than pre-qualification letters alone. you’ll provide your lender with documentation such as w-2 forms, paycheck stubs, and savings/checking account statements. your lender will also run a credit report to establish credit worthiness. it requires a little more work up front, but really pays off by minimizing any last-minute problems that may impact the loan closing. and as previously noted, sellers and realtors take home purchase offers presented with a certificate of pre-approval more seriously.

loanhomecenter.com provides a no-cost, no-obligation pre-approval certificate in minutes through our personal rate search or you may contact one of our knowledgeable home loan consultants at 1-800-756-0789 to obtain a pre-approval certificate.

step four: make a wish list
to ensure that your new home meets your needs, we’ve created a checklist to help you identify and prioritize features you are looking for in a new home. this form also includes a contact list for organizing all the key people involved in your home purchase. you can download a wish list and contact list pdf file now.

step five: search for a home
now we get to the fun part: searching for your ideal home! there are several ways to do this. you can browse the homes for sale in the classified section of your local newspaper, visit open houses, or find a realtor. a realtor not only has access to homes not always advertised in the paper, but will help you locate homes that meet your price, size and other criteria. let us help you find a realtor in your area; go through our network and you could earn up to $2000 cash.

	the proposed offer price
	seller concessions (if applicable)
	financing contingencies (if applicable)
	home inspection contingencies (if applicable)
	a specific outline of what is to be included in the sale
	of the home
	the “earnest money” deposit amount to be tendered
	with the offer

after the seller reviews your offer, he will either accept it, reject it, or make a counter-offer. any change to an offer is considered a counter-offer. an offer does not become a contract until both parties accept it. after acceptance, you and the seller will sign a home purchase agreement to finalize the deal.

step seven: lock-in an interest rate
after signing a home purchase agreement, you’re ready to lock in an interest rate. this freezes your interest rate and protects you against market fluctuations for a specific time period. loanhomecenter.com offers instant pre-approval and same day lock-in for 40 days. so you can count on taking advantage of the best rates when they are available.

step eight: closing
after locking-in your rate, your team of loanhomecenter.com specialists will go to work to close your home loan in concert with all third-party vendors. a processing specialist will schedule an appraisal and will make certain that your file is complete and ready for final underwriting review. while all of this is going on, your escrow and title companies are working to gather the proper paperwork and approvals. once all escrow conditions are met, the home loan is ready to fund, record, and close.

loanhomecenter.com offers one of the most comprehensive home mortgage loan selections available anywhere. simply fill out a personal rate search or call and speak to one of our experienced home mortgage bankers at 1-800-756-0789 to find the home loan program that’s right for you.