If you've decided to move and need to buy a home fast, you may be disheartened at the slow home-buying process. If you need to move out of your current house by a set date, you may even need to move into an apartment until you get your new home. If you're lucky, everything may fall in place and you'll be able to buy your new house fast. Here are some things that help speed up the process.
List The Things You Won't Compromise On
First of all, you'll want to bring a real estate agent into the process right away. You might want to attend open houses on your own, but you need an agent familiar with market listings to help you narrow down your search for a home you want to live in. This requires you to make a list of things that aren't negotiable. List what your new home must have, such as a certain number of bedrooms, and what the home can't have, such as a pool.
You can use these things to narrow down your online search for homes, and your agent can use them to eliminate homes and choose homes for in-person touring. Then, you won't waste time looking at houses that aren't really suitable. Without certainty in what you want, you could waste weeks or months just looking at houses.
Get A Mortgage Preapproval
There are two reasons you want a preapproved mortgage. One is that the seller may be more likely to accept your offer if they know you'll get approved for the loan. The other is that you won't get a bad surprise that brings your house hunting to a screeching halt if you're turned down for a mortgage. It's better to know how much money you qualify for up front and that you'll be able to get a loan so the closing process moves along smoothly. Plus, by knowing how much money you can borrow, you'll be able to tighten your search to houses that fit comfortably in that range.
Be Flexible With The Location
When you need to buy a home fast, you can't be as choosy as you can when you can wait weeks or months for the ideal home in the perfect location to come up for sale. Homes in popular neighborhoods may not be for sale when you're looking, so you may need to stay flexible and choose a different neighborhood that you could learn to love.
Just like your list of things you must have in your new home and things you don't want, you should create a similar list for your desired neighborhood. This can also help your agent find the right home if you want a neighborhood in a certain school zone or that's close to shops and transportation.
