Buying a Home in Louisville: The Entire Buying Process

This is a basic overview of what happens when you buy a house. The whole process really isn't so intimidating if you know what's going on.

The first thing you should do when thinking of buying a home is to get pre-approved with a lender. This way you'll know exactly how much house you can afford.

Next, you should sit down and determine exactly what you are looking for in a home. Write down the number of bedrooms and baths you need, and any other details you can think of (garage, yard size, proximity to schools, public transportation, etc.)

Once you know what you want in a home, a licensed real estate agent can help you find all the homes on the market that fit your needs. They will set up appointments for you and accompany you to view the homes. You may want to take notes on each property to compare them after seeing everything.

As soon as you find the right house, your agent can help you write up an offer. Hopefully, your offer will be accepted right away. If not, your agent can coordinate the negotiations with the seller until you reach an agreement that suits everyone's needs.

After the offer is accepted, you will probably want to have a home inspection, to make sure there aren't any problems with the property.

Once your lender has all the information and documentation they need to close the loan, they will give you a commitment on your mortgage. As soon as this is done, the closing attorney will schedule a closing.

At the closing, you and the seller will sign some documents and you will then be given the keys to your new home.