Step 3: Learn the Area


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Your Steps

Congratulations, you have just completed the two most important steps to becoming a homeowner:

Step 1. Building the right Partnerships, and

Step 2. Full-Approval - Obtaining Your Mortgage Commitment.

If you haven't visited Step 1 and Step 2, now is the perfect time to go back and focus your attention on creating a Partnership with an experienced American United lending professional who can help give you the purchasing power you need to become a homeowner. Visit Step 1 and Step 2 for all the details.

With your Full Approval in hand and your Partners ready to guide you through the home buying process, now is the time to create your "Home Wish List" and focus on a community.

Create Your "Home Wish List"

With paper and pen in hand, take a few moments to brainstorm on all the features you have always wanted in a house, i.e., number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and extras; family room; gourmet kitchen; large yard or pool. After you have listed the features you want, number them in terms of priority, the first being the feature you really must have in a house down to those items you may like but could live without.

Focus on Community

The community in which you choose to purchase your home should offer services and values you find most important to your daily routine. Your neighborhood should be an extension of your home and a reflection of your needs. If you are a commuter, then proximity to trains and buses will be a concern. If yours is a young family, then schools and day care will be an issue. And of course you may want to know about local community groups and places of worship. Good community services, such as highly rated schools and day care, will also increase the desirability of your home for resale! Your home buying team can be a great source of local information and can help you focus on neighborhoods that will offer homes surrounded by the services you need the most. Your American United Lending Partner suggests you begin your community search by gathering and comparing local statistics. The following topics may be of interest to you:

Educational Statistics Offered for Community Schools

By comparing school districts you can focus on the communities that offer the educational programs of interest to you. Click on the link above this paragraph to visit the US Department of Education's National Center for Educational Statistics site.

Federal Statistics Offered on Community Issues

Your American United Lending Partner can provide facts and figures on a host of community topics that can give you insight into the neighborhoods of your choice. You can also access the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) by clicking the link just above this paragraph.

The Value of Your Real Estate Partner

A true real estate professional can help you explore different communities and provide you with the facts you need to help narrow down your home search. With your Full Approval in hand you already know what you can afford. Make sure your real estate partner only shows you communities that have homes available in your price range. We recommend that you select a real estate partner that specializes in these communities.

Look What You've Accomplished ...

You have built a partnership with a lending professional.
You have your mortgage Full-Approval - shop with cash in hand!
You have built a home buying team.
You have created your home wish list.
You have focused on communities.

Now you have the purchasing power to shop for a home with direction, and you are confident and prepared to move on to Step 4, Making An Offer.

Click here to go to step four in the home buying process