We hear from homebuilders and homebuyers alike that both processes can seem daunting and overwhelming when you’re just getting started. Take the mystery and anxiety out of buying a home process by getting a quick overview of the home buying process.
What are the steps for buying a home?
Wish lists & budgets
Both are important, but these don’t always align. Be realistic about your budget by considering your income, outstanding debt, what you can realistically afford monthly, and how much to save up for a down payment.
Pre-approval
This is where your loan officer will offer you a ballpark estimate for how much you’ll be approved to borrow. Keep in mind, just because you might get approved for more than you’re expecting doesn’t mean you should spend that much. Calculate a budget that leaves you plenty of wiggle room even when taking your monthly expenses and income into account. You’ll need to consider mortgage rates, mortgage insurance, interest rates, and closing costs along with your price range. Getting pre-qualified allows you to move quickly when you find a home you love.
Choosing a home
This can either be the fun part or the dreadful part depending on how you look at it. Sometimes you’ll find what seems like “the one” only to have it go under contract before you can even get a foot in the door. Other times it might be that the location is perfect but the house is going to take some imagination and good old fashioned elbow grease, or it fails the home inspection altogether. Be patient and hang in there.
Approval (for real this time)
Once you’re ready to put an offer on a house, you’ll go through the final approval process and get a loan for the amount you’ll pay for your new home.
Closing
So, you’ve found your dream home, the home inspector has given you a green flag, and you’ve been approved for a loan. Now, it’s time to close. Get your pens ready, stretch out your wrists, crack your knuckles, and maybe do a few jumping jacks. Oh, and don’t forget to hydrate. Why? Because it’s your closing day, which means you ’ll have at least 593,294,138 papers to sign (you know, approximately). Don’t worry, your real estate agent, a lawyer, and loan officer will be there to help you through the process on your closing date.
What about building a home?
At the end of the day, building is often no more hassle than buying. Check out this resource to learn how the building process typically works with Carolina Custom Homes of Burlington. (5 Reasons to Choose CCH)
Figuring out where to build.
It’s best to have land and a good understanding of your property before you have your heart set on a specific floor plan. We can customize any floor plan you like, but you have to make sure your new home will jive well with the layout and size of your land.
Falling in love with a floor plan.
Whether it’s love at first sight or it takes some rearranging, finagling, and tweaking, we’ll help you match up with your perfect floor plan.
Let’s talk money, honey.
Once we finalize your floor plans and any upgrades or changes, we’ll submit your plans to the builder to get a final quote. We’re able to be budget-conscious from the start of your building process, but this is when we’ll get the nitty-gritty details nailed down.
Breaking out the tools.
When you partner with Carolina Custom Homes, we craft the modules of your home in a climate-controlled factory off of your actual construction site while our on-site team preps the land so it’ll be ready for your home.
Putting it all together.
After rigorous stability and environmental testing offsite, your home will finally be built on your land.
Making it turn-key.
Once your home is assembled, we’ll hook up your utilities, finish the siding, and install your appliances and fixtures. We complete this process with the same dedication and detail of the multi-point inspection system that we use throughout the building process to ensure that your home is safe, secure, and ready to go.
Calling it “home.”
Pack up and move on in!
Not sure if building or buying is right for you? A lot of folks assume building a new home is out of reach due to budget constraints, but that’s not always the case. Consider the perks of a custom home by checking out:
