Online House Hunting

I want to buy a house in florida, where do I start?

Living in the Tampa bay area. Wanting to buy a house Asking for very detailed answers on the steps to buying a house

Public Comments

1. Your best bet would to be to find a real estate agent in the area. They can walk you throught the steps on getting pre-approved for a mortage and locate a home in your price range
2. Go to this site
3. Start by getting prequalified for a house loan. They will tell you what you can afford. Then you could start checking the internet for listings in the city you want. You might get more home for the buck if you use "Buy Owner." Or pick a realtor to show you around. Once you find something you like in your price range, make an offer.
4. 1. Find someone who can refer you to a lender. If you have generally good credit you should speak with a direct lender who will have lower fees and competitive rates. If you have lower than a 660 credit score you may wish to also speak to a corresponding lender, who will shop your situation to up to 500 lenders who may be able to help you. You will pay higher fees to the corresponding lender, but they are worth it if you have a challenging credit situation. 2. Determine what you can afford. Once you find a lender that can work with you and your situation, you should be able to get a handle on what you can pre-qualify, what your monthly payment will be and what you need to do to complete a full pre-approval. 3. Find an agent who will represent your interests. In the state of Florida, you can be represented by an agent as a Transaction Broker or a Single Agent. A Single Agent has a fiduciary responsibility to put your interests ahead of all others. 4. Go through a needs analysis. An agent who is representing you as a fiduciary should take you through an intensive buyer consulation to determine what is important to you as the home buyer. He should use this information to manage expectations, and screen properties. 5. Decide what to see. Your agent should forward a number of appropriate properties and you should decide which are the best ones to look at. Many buyers and agents will see 30-40 homes, which often overwhelms the buyer. A good agent will help you focus on the homes that best fit your criteria. 6. Make an offer. Make an offer based on what is the fair market value of the property. You may get some concessions off appraised value, but if you attempt to steal the home with a low ball offer, your future attempts to negotiate may be rebuffed. 7. Negotiate. Ultimately value is an opinion. You should have a range of value going in, and you should negotiate a price that fits how enthusiastic you are about the home. Also, your agent should help you with structuring the contract regarding repairs and other provisions that are a good fit for your needs while being typical for the area and market situation. Once you have a meeting of the minds, you go forward. 8. Inspections. Once you have a contract, you should conduct a full home inspection with an ASHI certified home inspector. You should also have a termite inspection and other inspections required by your lender or insurance company. 9. Get an insurance binder. Despite a slow hurricane season, a storm in the Gulf can delay your closing unless you have a policy in place. Do this as soon as your inspections are complete. 10. Get everything else your lender requests to the lender. Any number of things fall in here. Listen Up and move fast. 11. Close the property. This is done at the Title Company in conjunction with your lender and agent. 12. Move in. You've done it before... it works the same. Hope this helps.
5. Hi Kim ........... If u get a good place and also a goood house just write me a mail becoz i can help u out to get a good loan with some affordable payments and also with lower rates if possible but try to find a home in your own city Tampa Bay....
6. Try contacting a local real estate agent. They will know everything there is to know about the best areas for your criteria. A really good website to browse local real estate/real estate agents is: http://www.realestateforsaleinflorida.net It's really easy to navigate and is full of info about realtors with links to their personal websites. Most of their websites will have all the available homes/rentals in the area along with community info, so you can do some research before you contact anyone. Hopefully that works for you. Good luck!