Preparing Yourself
Buying Boston Area Real Estate
Months ahead of buying a home, reading books and articles on home buying, visiting our information center or taking our Learn and Earn course can help prepare you for the home buying process. Let’s start with some preliminary issues and questions you need to ask.
Should you rent or buy? How much can you afford? How much would you prefer to spend? What is your credit (FICO) score? What does it mean? Are there any errors on your credit report? Should you get pre-qualified or pre-approved? What lender will you use?
What towns would you like to live in and why? What is the average price of homes there? What are the demographics? What other factors should you consider? How do taxes fit into your decision? Are schools important to you? How about public transportation? How close do you want to be to your work, friends, family, and social networks?
What type of housing would you consider? Do you want a single family, condo, co-op, or multi-family? Do you want new construction or existing property? Are you interested in fixer-uppers or do you need a home in move-in condition? How much renovation are you willing to do?
What style of home interests you? Do you need to live on one floor? What about antique homes? How about Capes, Colonials, Victorians, Cottages, or Splits? Do you have allergies that may affect your buying decision?
How much influence will family or friends have in your buying decision? Who would you like to see the property before you make an offer?
What are you looking for in a home? What would you like to have? What do you need to have? What do you not want? How will you decide? next topic »
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