First Time Home Buyer Programs

10 Tips for First-time Houston Home Buyers

5 First Time Home Buyer Mistakes

We love working with first-time home buyers in Houston Texas!  At HoustonProperties, we offer one of Houston’s best Free First Time Home Buyer’s kits. Please email Paige Martin for your copy.

10 Tips for First-Time Houston Home Buyers

1. Be picky, but don’t be unrealistic. There is no perfect home. The right home for you is a trade-off between your needs and wants and how much you can afford to pay for the home.

2. Do your homework before you start looking. Decide specifically what features you want in a home and which are most important to you. Check out Houston neighborhoods, look at Houston property types, and check available Homes for Sale in Houston TX.

3. Get your finances in order. Review your credit report and be sure you have enough money to cover your down payment and your closing costs.

4. Don’t wait to get a loan. Talk to a lender and get pre-qualified for a mortgage before you start looking.

5. Don’t ask too many people for opinions. It will drive you crazy. Select one or two people to turn to if you feel you need a second opinion.

6. Decide when you could move. When is your lease up? Are you allowed to sublet? How tight is the rental market in your area?

7. Think long-term. Are you looking for a starter house with the idea of moving up in a few years, or do you hope to stay in this home longer? This decision may dictate what type of home you’ll buy as well as the type of mortgage terms that suit you best.

8. Don’t let yourself be house poor. If you max yourself out to buy the biggest home you can afford, you’ll have no money left for maintenance or decoration, or to save money for other financial goals.

9. Don’t be naive. Insist on a home inspection. If possible, get a warranty from the seller to cover defects within one year.

10. Get help. Hire a Houston REALTOR as a buyer’s representative. Unlike a listing agent, whose first duty is to the seller, a buyer’s representative is working only for you. Plus, buyer’s reps are free to you—they’re paid out of the seller’s commission payment.

5 Common First-Time Houston Home Buyer Mistakes

First-time Houston home buyers that don’t ask enough questions of their lender and miss out on the best deal available to them.

First-time Houston home buyers that don’t act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house.

First-time Houston home buyers that don’t find the right Houston real estate agent who is willing to help them through the home-buying process.

First-time Houston home buyers that don’t do enough to make their offer look good to a seller.

First-time Houston home buyers that don’t think about re-sale before they buy. The average first-time buyer stays in a home for only three to four years.

Call Paige at 713-384-5177 to tour a Houston Tx home today or email Paige@HoustonProperties.com for more information.