Pre-approve you for a loan — a valuable negotiating tool when you're bidding on a home*

Here are six steps we recommend for selecting and purchasing a new home. Follow them and you'll enjoy a better home buying experience. You'll be hanging curtains and arranging furniture in your new home a lot sooner.

 Determine your price range
 Get pre-approved for a loan
 Select a real estate agent
 Shop for a home
 Make an offer
 Complete the purchase

 Determine your price range
Use our "How Much Home Can You Afford" Calculator to figure out the loan amount and home price you could likely obtain from Countrywide based on today's rates and programs. Or contact us and have us do it for you. Not even sure if you're ready to buy a home? See First-Time Home Buyer.

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 Get pre-approved for a loan
Decide how you'd like to work with us — in person, by phone or online. Then start by having us pre-approve you for a loan.* A Countrywide UpFront Approval Certificate demonstrates to real estate agents and home sellers your ability to buy homes within a certain price range. (Get pre-approved now.)

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 Select a real estate agent
A real estate agent can help you throughout the buying process. What's more, since an agent's services are usually paid through a commission from the seller, they don't cost you anything. A good agent will help you decide exactly what you want in a home, what's essential and what's less important, learn your likes and dislikes, and save you hours of fruitless searching. Agents are the first to know when new homes come on the market and can advise you throughout the home-buying process. For help finding an agent, see our Directory of Real Estate Professionals.

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 Shop for a home
Here's the fun part. But remember to be a critical buyer. This is going to be your home — possibly for years. Here are some tips:

		Look beyond the cosmetics. Make sure the most expensive things to repair or renovate, things like the structure, plumbing, wiring, and heating and cooling system are all in good shape.
		Think about how the home suits your needs. See our Home Checklist.
		Do you like how the home feels? Is it you?
		Drive around the neighborhood — is this an area you want to live? (Research businesses and other features of the neighborhood with Map Blast. And get school reports at theschoolreport.com.*)
		Are other homes around the one you're considering comparable in value? Avoid buying a home considerably more valuable than neighboring homes — you may have trouble with the appraisal. You may also have trouble getting your value out of the home when you want to sell.

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 Make an offer
Found a home? Decide what price you want to offer and present the price to the seller.

		Use a standard form real estate purchase contract (your agent will provide this). The agreement will have important clauses protecting you and the transaction.
		In choosing a price, consider recent selling prices for comparable homes in the same area, how long the house has been on the market, how hot or slow the market is, and whether the home needs any major repairs. (Your real estate agent can help assess all these. You can also try homegain.com.*)
		Show your Countrywide UpFront Approval Certificate — it positions you as a highly qualified buyer.**
		See what closing costs the seller might be willing to pay. An eager seller may share more of them.
		Be sure the purchase contract releases you without penalty if a home inspection turns up major problems or the home doesn't appraise for the sales price.
		Write a realistic closing date into the agreement. While our loan process can be very fast, you'll need time for the home inspection and negotiations resulting from that.
		If you need to sell your current home, try to make your contract conditional upon the sale of your house. If this request is rejected, give yourself a later closing date.

Once your offer has been accepted, you'll need to provide earnest money. This is a cash deposit (several hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the value of the home and the market) towards the down payment that shows your commitment to buying the home.

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 Complete the purchase
If you completed step 2 and are pre-approved for a loan, you're almost there. The home simply needs to be appraised and a few other details taken care of. You may be asked to provide your purchase agreement and other support document within the next business day or two to your lender. With this information and your property information, we're ready to process your loan. Haven't selected a lender? See Why Choose Countrywide.

Once your loan receives final approval, you're ready to close. See Close the Loan for a complete description of what happens there.

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