You wanna buy a house...but where do you start?

Most people who want to buy a house want to start looking right away. After all, shopping is the fun part! But if your Realtor® is worth his/her weight, he/she will most likely steer you toward a trustworthy lender. The reason for this is to mitigate dissappointment and wasted time.

If you begin to shop, and fall in love with a house that you cannot afford, you will have wasted not only your time, but your Realtor's® time, as well. On the other hand, if you start off your home search on the correct foot, and understand the costs involved, the chances that you will stretch yourself to a point of financial suicide will be greatly reduced.

So, you can begin by speaking to a Realtor®. But it is in your best interest to find a reputable lender as soon as possible. If you don't know where to begin to find a competent lender that you can trust and work well with, then find a Realtor® that you trust, first, and see if his/her recommendations for a lender work for you.