Aside from these independent yet interwoven activities, there are many individuals whose diligence, counsel, attention to detail and anticipatory actions to avoid possible problems, enable an escrow to close with the least amount of stress.  Participation and close co-operation in the process by you the buyer, your loan representative, your real estate professional, title company, escrow company, pest control company, home inspection company, appraisers, other inspectors and the seller, is also required to make the home buying experience a happy and successful one.

What is involved in making your purchase the happy and rewarding experience it should and can be?

There are several easily definable steps to take once you have decided that buying a home is for you.

Find out what you can afford, before you ever even go to look at homes.  Unless you are just looking for decorating ideas or out to see generally what is available on the market, the best approach is to get pre-qualified with a lender. If at all possible, get pre-approved.  At the very least, begin the process....it can take several weeks.  It will prove a great advantage during your negotiations when you can produce a pre-approval letter together with your offer.  Your real estate professional can help you with this.

It is very important to find the best loan possible given your particular circumstance.  Just because your friend got one type of loan does NOT mean that loan is right for you.  Each financial situation is unique, how you are taxed is important as well as how long you intend to stay in the home.  Talk with a knowledgeable loan representative that can give you many choices and is willing to explain in detail what he has to offer.  And, always ask to see what the loan costs are going to be for you. You and your real estate professional and a good loan representative can save you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan.  It is important.

Find a real estate professional who is responsive to your needs, has a keen knowledge of your market, and who is "in touch" with the changes that have taken place nationwide in the real estate marketplace. 

Identify neighborhoods and areas you like.  Are the schools important? Do you need a large yard?  How far from the office will you be?  Does it fit in with your life style.

View specific homes within the parameters that your loan representative has given you and your real estate professional. View each home as an investment as much as possible during this emotion laden period.  Often emotional decisions can lead to financial problems in the future.  Keep in mind that you want to enjoy life as well as your home.  If you financially overburden yourself by tweaking in those last few dollar a month payments, you may well regret it later.  If you know for sure you are going to get a raise in the near future, it may be alright to stretch yourself to the limit.  But if your job is not secure or there are known changes coming your way, it it unwise to go to your loan limits.

Always analyze the value of the home.  Make sure you see a comparative market analysis of the homes that are comparable to the one you choose to write an offer on.  Even though prices have been scaling upward in the past few years, still be aware of what you are paying in comparison to those who bought before you.

Make an offer.  In many ways, your offer will probably be structured around what you know of the seller's circumstances.  Does the seller have to sell?  Has the seller already bought another home?  Does the house need a lot of work? How long has the house been on the market?  Is the seller offering any incentives? including but not limited to carrying money? Are there other potential offers coming in at the same time as yours? These are all legitimate questions to ask yourself when constructing an offer. 

They are aside from those questions you should ask yourself.  How  much do you have to have this house? (remember, there are always other homes)  How much do you have financially stretch to buy it and is that sensible.  What can you offer within the parameters of your loan commitment?  For example, with an FHA offer, the maximum loan amount is currently set at $225,000.  Unless you have extra cash or a rich uncle, you may not have the ability to offer more than a certain amount, no matter how willing the seller is to sell. If you have to have the house, you have to get another kind of loan, if you can afford it.

Negotiations are extremely important.  If your real estate professional is savvy at negotiating, you can save thousands of dollars on your purchase.  Knowing the seller's motivation and the market can make all the difference. However, bear in mind, that in the current market, the seller often has several offers to choose from.  If you are pre-qualified, have a sizable down payment, and can close escrow quickly and efficiently, you can have your offer accepted even if it is NOT the highest offer on the table. 

The escrow period is often one of the most exciting times aside from "moving in day", however, it can have it's ups and downs as well.  However, if you are well prepared in advance, and don't leave your packing, change of address, utility changes and insurance preparations till the last minute, you will probably find it smooth sailing. 

Listen to the advice of your real estate professional.  There are reasons things need to be done in the order and time that they are requested of you.  Many items on the purchase contract are time dependent.  You will see the phrase "Time is of the Essence".  If you do not perform your contractual obligations or use the time available to you to do your due diligence within these time frames, you will lose opportunities afforded you under the law and under your contract with the seller.

Moving day of course is the day you've been looking forward to!  The day you get your keys and start a new life in your new home. Make sure that you co-ordinate your move with that of the seller well in advance.  Call your moving company early in the escrow process and keep them in touch with the process.  If you follow your real estate professionals advice, this should go smoothly.  Always make sure that you have plenty of friends or other help to lift boxes!

Celebrate!  We all do that differently.......I'll leave it up to you.  Just enjoy!

Keep in touch with your Realtor.  If you don't, she will!