Thread: Inexperienced House Hunter -- What to do now?

My advice is to find a good agent who will help you with evertyhing. You can't do without a agent. Now there are too many small things to consder that you get crazy.

I would agree to find a real estate agent who can help walk you through the process. You could start talking to some lenders and ask them about getting preapproved for a mortgage. You are going to need that preapproval letter when you start looking.

Originally Posted by RE101

Ok, so my husband and I have been house hunting ourselves, going to different open houses. We don't have an agent yet. But can you please tell me what we need to do first?

1 - get an agent?
2 - get a loan pre-qualification?
3- how to get a loan pre-qual? do we just walk into a bank? or ask the agent?
4- is it better to go through a loan broker?
5- is it going to affect our credit to get a loan pre-qualification since credit report will be pulled?


Thanks advance for your help! We live in CA, Los Angeles, by the way.

You should check out the Home Buyers Online Seminar. It is a 3D Digital E-Book with answers to all your questions about buying a home and a perfect way to prepare yourself for the home buying process. You can download this 140 page manual for free and without obligations at our website.

If you are a first time home buyer, you really need to hire an experienced real estate agent who can help you to avoid making mistakes such as choosing the wrong home or offering too much.

Originally Posted by RE101

Ok, so my husband and I have been house hunting ourselves, going to different open houses. We don't have an agent yet. But can you please tell me what we need to do first?

1 - get an agent?
2 - get a loan pre-qualification?
3- how to get a loan pre-qual? do we just walk into a bank? or ask the agent?
4- is it better to go through a loan broker?
5- is it going to affect our credit to get a loan pre-qualification since credit report will be pulled?


Thanks advance for your help! We live in CA, Los Angeles, by the way.

Congratulations on making your decision to purchase a home! It is such a great time to buy and it doesnt hurt that you have an extended tax credit in California.

Like the other replies to this thread, I recommend you find a realtor who happens to be a local expert on the area you are planning on purchasing.

Your realtor will likely have a preferred lender that you can work with. I strongly recommend you shop with 2-3 lenders to make sure you are getting not only the best deal, but the right loan program to fit your needs.

A "hard pull" can affect your credit. I would ask the lenders you are working with if they can give you a copy of your credit report. I would then take that credit report to the other lenders you are planning on shopping and ask them for a Good Faith Estimate, or GFE, which will let you know which lender is giving you the best deal. I have a preferred lender that I send my clients to (with the recommendation to shop other lenders) that gives my clients their credit report for free so they can shop other lenders if they would like.

Best of luck in your buying process and feel free to message me if you have any questions!

Hnn..!!! well i will advice you in two ways. First mark an area to what you are interested to buy a new house. Secondly find some popular and reliable property and real estate portals in your area through Internet. This way you can search good prices and idea of new houses.

That will definitely save your time and money. Good Luck

The first thing you should do is get a Pre-Qual, however, if you don't know how to go about getting a Mortgage Consultant or loan officer, you should definitely find a Realtor in your area and he/she will put you in touch with a Mortgage Person. At Watson, we have an in-house Mortgage Consultant in just about every office so I'm sure that if you pick a large enough firm, it'll be a one-stop shop like we are.

Once you get your pre-qual, you and your Realtor will know what price range you qualify for and can begin your search based on your desired criteria. BTW, if you go onto realtor.com you can do your own search to get a head start.

If you're still unsure, we have a great referal program that can put you in touch with a few Realtors in your desired area as well.

I'd say call me.. lol. Just Kidding.

You've got to be represented by a good and competent realtor. Make sure they KNOW the area you're looking in. Each area has different market nuances. I work, for example, in Corona/Riverside and would venture into Lake Elsinore. Although Yorba Linda and Anaheim Hills touch Corona, I don't think I'd be your best representation in those areas... Orange County's market is too different than Riverside's. I would, however, refer you to a good realtor in that area.
Plus.. as much as people don't want to admit it, this is still a good ole boys (or girls) network and if you're in (or rather if your Realtor is in)... you are IN!

If you need a good referral in Los Angeles, contact me through this post... I may have worked with someone in the area where you'd like to live.

I wish you the BEST!

Crag Yace

As a first time buyer it is imperative that you find an experienced agent with whom you can work very closely with. I would interview several before choosing. You will be spending a lot of time with your agent and you'll need to have a good working relationship and open lines of communication to have a successful transaction.