Buying a House

So as some of you may know, I just recently bought a house.  The whole process of buying a house is very cumbersome and stressful.

Here are some tips:

1.Financially in order
 So if you would have asked me at the beginning of my house hunt if I were financially ready to buy a house I would have said of course.  Now if you ask me, I would say yes but not with such "that's an obvious answer" attitude in my throat.  When I say you need to be financially in order, I'm not just saying have a bunch of money in the bank, but that's necessary as well.  The one thing that I forgot about when buying a house was how "in ya business" the mortgage company was going to be during the process.  They want to know who transferred that $1.50 in your checking account 2 days ago and why you move this money from your savings every month.  So when I say be financially in order, I mean to have an explanation for all of your financials, if questioned.  This includes accounting for any co-owners on your accounts and transfers in and out of your account.
 
2. Budget Strictly yet leniently
When I first started looking for a house, I was adamant in saying that I was not going to spend over a certain amount.  I was strict on what my price point would be and how much I was willing to pay.  I quickly found out that everything that I wanted was in a different price range.  I then had to have a high end of what I was willing to pay and a optimal low end that I was ok with as well.  So definitely do some research on what you want and how much that stuff usually costs.

3.Don't do it alone
Make sure that you have a support system.  There were so many houses that I had mentally "moved in" in my head, and it was so taxing to have to mentally "move out" when I lost the houses.  I literally would walk into these houses and envision where I wanted all of my stuff and how I would decorate.  I even talked to one of the homeowners that was selling the house about what she thought about my plans and why she decorated the way she did.  However,I think that's also part of the process as well.  Why would you want to buy a house that you can't envision yourself living in one day.  The thing that made it hard was when I fell in love with a house no longer available it made it harder for me to love a new house unless it showed me something better than the last and that so often came with an increase in price.


4.Stay Strong
At this time, it is definitely a sellers market.  Houses were literally "flying off the shelves."  It was so hard to get a contract on a house because literally a house would go on the market and the next day it would have 6 offers.  So I definitely would say go with your gut.  If you love a house and want it to be yours be aggressive or you may lost it.  It took me three houses to learn that.  If you are even so wowed by a house from merely the pictures I would say still put an offer down, or it may not be there later.

5.Stay Organized
Do your research, and find out what is needed to buy a house.  Definitely have a priority list of what you must have in your new home.  If you don't keep everything in order you can look up and find yourself lost or confused as to why you aren't finding the house for you. 

Comment below with any questions or comments that you guys have in terms of buying a house.