Home Buyers Guide for the Omaha Metro Area

Finding and purchasing a home that will meet your needs is a significant and often stressful time. Our goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible. We are experts in the area, and once we learn what it is that you’re looking for, finding your dream home is simple.

What Does Your Perfect Home Look Like?

What Should I Do First?

Before looking at homes, which I know you're probably dying to do and have already done, (I get it) you should know how much you can afford. Our simple mortgage calculator can give you a rough idea but this alone is not enough to qualify for a home loan. There is nothing more frustrating to find a home you love only to find out you can't actually afford it. Trust me. As much fun as it is to look for a house, not knowing if you can afford it can be nerve-wracking.

The first step to buying a house is to get pre-approved. This is where you find a lender you like and trust and they actually look over all your income and debts to determine how much you can afford in a monthly mortgage payment. Now, if you're buying with all cash, you can skip this step entirely because I assume you know how much cash you have and will keep your search to those parameters.

Who Do I Go to for a Loan?

You can shop around just like you would for your home. Check your bank's rates, credit unions, or our favorite, a mortgage lender or loan officer that might be initially more spendy upfront but can search through thousands of options and banks to find the best deal for you. You definitely save money in the long run. 

Your lender will want proof of your income and any debts and liabilities to determine an appropriate monthly mortgage payment. And just because you can afford that payment doesn't mean you need to max out your budget... keeping a little under will give you that cushion you might need for repairs and such in the future.

Okay, NOW Can I Look at Homes?

Yes! Now you can look! If you have pre-approval in hand you can confidently look at homes that you can afford! And remember, using your own representative throughout the process means your needs and interest are protected! It costs you nothing to use your own buyer's agent so why wouldn't you? We strongly urge buyers not to use a listing agent when buying the house. It's almost like using the Plaintiff's lawyer when you're the defendant - why would you? 

So Let's get started! Check out the latest listings in our area below or contact us at any time for tips and to set up a buyer meeting! We'd love to chat with you!!