Shopping for your first home will likely be both an exciting and overwhelming endeavor. After all, making the biggest purchase you will likely ever make is bound to come with its share of worries!

However, if you break down the process of searching for your first home into manageable parts you can accomplish the goal of finding your first home without too much anxiety and stress. Here’s how to get started:

• Get pre-approved – The very first thing on every buyer’s list should be getting preapproved for a mortgage for a property. A preapproval for a mortgage is a very important first step, as it provides the buyer with the information necessary to move forward with the buying process. It allows the buyer to understand whether they have the credit to purchase a home and, it allows the buyer to understand how much home they can afford. In short, doing anything before getting preapproved for a mortgage would be a mistake.
• Get a great realtor – After you have a mortgage preapproval in hand from your lender, now is the time to shop for a realtor. A good realtor will have the knowledge and experience necessary to guide you toward your first New Braunfels home purchase and will also educate you about purchasing your first home.
• Make a list of wants and needs, and bring it with you – Your realtor will likely ask you many questions regarding the type of home for which you are looking, but it still pays to bring a list along with you; one that you can use when looking at homes. If you have a list in hand of wants and needs, you can better stay on task and focus when home searching.
• Don’t overdo it on any given day – It may seem like a good idea to view as many houses as possible on any given day, but the reality is that doing so will only create confusion and wear you out. Therefore, it is best to keep the number of homes you look at each day to a minimum – say, four or five – so you can really focus on the homes and decide which one is right for you.

Although not all of San Antonio has a reason to cheer, the luxury home market certainly does. The lower price points in the San Antonio real estate market update are still struggling to maintain ground, but the luxury home market is witnessing a flurry of activity; everything from multiple offers to cash deals.

John Flournoy, has even gone so far as to call the San Antonio real estate market a “tale of two cities.” He goes on to say that “we’re seeing people come out of the rental pool because they’ve been able to sell their homes elsewhere.”

The entry level market in San Antonio, however, can’t say the same, and it seems that gas prices are to blame. Many people, with fears of increasing gas prices, are now finding that their budgets aren’t stretching as far as they once did, thereby leaving them on the sidelines and out of the home buying arena.

And, of course, the luxury home buyers simply aren’t affected by rising gas prices.

Many realtors are finding that their high-priced homes are selling quickly, yet they are struggling to move those homes priced at even $75 per square foot.

Some agents, however, have noted that the San Antonio real estate market update is not as dire as it seems, as homes priced under $100,000 are moving fairly well, thanks to investors and low interest rates. The low interest rates are a big help, as it allows home buyers to pay around the same each month for their mortgage payment as they paid for their rent.

Finally, some realtors see the market as quite simple: The more expensive homes are often times the homes that need little work, and buyers are looking for homes they can move into. Many of the lower-priced homes, on the other hand, require updates and repairs; neither of which many home buyers are willing to tackle these days.

The marketplace is full of properties that have either sat on the market for an extended period of time or have simply expired. And the number-one reason is because the home wasn’t priced right.

One of the most important things your realtor can do is help you price your home right, the first time, and here’s why:

• A Leon Valley home that’s priced right will sell faster – You may think pricing your home in a higher price range may fetch you more money for your home. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case. A home that’s priced out of its range will likely result in very few showings because it won’t be pooled in the same group as other homes similar to it. For example, if your home should be priced at $200,000, but you choose to price it at $250,000, potential buyers in the market for a home like yours will likely never see it because they won’t be searching for homes in the $250,000 range. And, the buyers who can spend $250,000 will likely pass over yours for another home that has more of what they are looking for. In other words, don’t bet on pricing your home high because it will likely backfire on you.
• A home that’s priced right will generate more interest – If your home pops up on the market at a competitive price, you can bet it will generate a considerable amount of interest. A home that’s overpriced, on the other hand, will likely generate very little interest. Even if you choose to lower the price of your home a few weeks or months after it has been on the market, your property will likely become a “stale” listing; or one that has been passed over for months and is therefore no longer of interest to buyers or realtors.
• A home that’s priced right will draw the right buyers – The last thing most sellers want to deal with are buyers who are out to fetch a bargain. If you fail to price your home right from the start, you will likely generate interest from buyers who simply want to lowball an offer your way. A home that’s competitively priced, on the other hand, will likely generate interest from serious buyers who are ready and willing to pay the asking price of your home.

If you are one of the thousands of families who have moved to San Antonio in recent years, you no doubt are not new to the process of relocation. In order to ensure a smooth, relatively seamless transition, it is important to create a timeline and to get help from San Antonio military relocation experts like VIP Realty.

VIP Realty, San Antonio military relocation experts, can help you find a new home in San Antonio and make your move to San Antonio easier for both you and your family.
Along with the help of San Antonio military relocation experts like VIP Realty, here is your timeline for planning your military move:

• Confirm the dates of your move and the first day you are to report to your position. Then create a calendar with your family to start the planning process.

• Contact a local real estate agent to put your home on the market and contact a trusted realtor in San Antonio, like VIP Realty, to begin your home search in San Antonio. Then, schedule a trip to San Antonio to begin house hunting.

• While you are in San Antonio, take the time to look at schools and recreational activities for you and your family. If you can’t bring your family with you on your trip to San Antonio, take your camera along and take many pictures to keep your family in the loop.

• About two months before your move, begin preparing a comprehensive list of everyone you will need to contact regarding your move. Everything from your newspaper delivery service and creditors to friends and family will need to be notified of your move.

• Stop by your local post office to pick up a mover’s guide and change-of-address forms.

• With the help of your family, start making decisions regarding what can go and what will go with you. If you have the time, hold a yard sale. Begin packing things you don’t need right now so that the packing process will not be overwhelming for everyone.

• Once you have found a new home in San Antonio, contact your children’s school to have all records transferred to their new school. Contact the new school and get them registered. In addition, contact their physician and have their records transferred to a new physician in San Antonio.

This year may be the best year to purchase a home! If you are in the market for a new home, and you’ve been waiting for the best time to take action, wait no longer!

Why now may be the perfect time to buy a home:

• The interest rates are still very low – Interest rates continue to hover near historic lows, so you may be able to afford the home of your dreams. With low interest rates comes the ability for many home buyers to finally purchase the larger Terrell Hills home they’ve always wanted. In addition, for other home owners, this may mean their mortgage payment could be much lower than if they waited and bought when interest rates increased just a point or two.
• Good credit pays off – If you have good credit, lenders are likely seeking you out in today’s market. In fact, lenders are courting buyers with good credit with very attractive interest rates and home loan programs. Now may be the best time to contact your local lender so he or she can educate you about all the attractive home loans that are currently available to individuals with excellent credit.
• There is a great supply of homes – Although home sales across the country have picked up recently, it still pays to note that there is a great selection of homes on the market. Because of the sheer number of homes for sale, it is quite likely you can hold out for a Terrell Hills home you really love, and one that is dramatically lower in price than it may have been just a few years ago.
• Foreclosures and short sales are still in the system – Although you can’t automatically assume you will score the deal of all deals with a foreclosure or short sale, it is quite possible you can purchase a home in foreclosure or a short sale home for less than areas comparables. Purchasing a foreclosure or short sale does have its share of challenges, but if you’re up for a challenge, you could end up with a fantastic home for less than you thought possible!

Buying in today’s market has many advantages, and a few challenges. Because of this, now may be a great time for you to consider either purchasing your first home or your next  home. And here’s why:

• There is a large selection of available homes – Keeping in line with a traditional buyer’s market, there is a nice selection of available homes on the market. Because of this, you can expect to see any number of homes that fit in your price range. Of course, this makes shopping for a new home much easier, and better ensures you will find exactly what you are looking for.
• Home prices are still very affordable – Although the recent trends show that home prices are once again gaining steam, they are still incredibly affordable, thereby allowing home buyers to buy more than they were able to just a few years ago. And, because of their affordability, first-time home buyers are now able to more easily enter the market.
• Only the best credit will do – Because lenders are now only interested in individuals with great credit, those home buyers who come to the table with a strong credit score can be assured of obtaining an attractive interest rate and a great home loan program. In fact, there are a number of fantastic home loan programs out there, both for first-time home buyers and existing home buyers.

Because there are so many advantages to buying a property in today’s market, it is important to understand that you have to bring a few things to the table:

• A nice down payment – Today’s lenders are requiring down payments, so it is important to have at least 10 to 20 percent of the cost of the home in the form of down payment cash. There are virtually no longer home loan programs that offer no-money-down options, but there are still attractive home loan programs nonetheless.
• Excellent credit – A solid credit score with an extensive credit history is required for today’s home buyers. Therefore, it is best to check your credit score before applying for a home loan to make sure there are no errors or discrepancies.
• A solid employment history – If you are thinking about purchasing a home, don’t make any job changes, as this could affect your ability to secure a loan.