From having your credit put under a microscope by a mortgage lender to spending all your free time looking at houses, buying a home can be a stressful experience. Much of the stress is avoidable with advance preparation and hiring the right real estate professionals. Here are things you can do to make your home purchase go smoothly:

1. Get Your Financial House in Order
Before you go to a lender to apply for a mortgage, get a free copy of your credit report. By getting a copy of your report before meeting with a lender, you have time to correct mistakes or change your behavior so your lender will look at you more favorably. You can improve your credit by doing the following:
* Make minimum payments on time
* Pay off accounts with small balances
* Pay down accounts with higher balances
* Resist the urge to open new accounts
* Wait. If you change your credit habits for the better, it will take time for your credit report to reflect those changes. Lenders will look for you to have improved habits for a period of time.
If your credit appears to be in good shape, you’re ready to talk with a lender.

2. Obtain Mortgage Pre-approval
Most sellers will not accept any offer from you without a pre-approval letter from a lender, so don’t waste time looking at homes until you have pre-approval. Your lender will tell you how much home you can afford, what the monthly payment will likely be, and what your anticipated closing costs will be. It’s smart to speak with a few lenders before deciding to go with one in particular, so you can compare rates and closing costs.

3. Create a Budget
Once your lender has told you how much you can afford, you must decide if you really want to spend that much, anticipating additional expenses such as repairs, buying furniture, general maintenance, and rising real estate taxes. A budget will help you avoid overspending and the stress that comes with it.

4. Do Your Homework
According to a study conducted by the Consumer Federation of America, only 36% of the general public knows “a lot” or “a fair amount” about “real estate agents and brokers and their consumer services.” With 68% of the households in the United States owning homes, the study shows that even people who own homes don’t know enough about buying them.

Set yourself apart by doing your homework before you buy. To learn more about buying a home, do the following things:

* Research Internet sites such as www.money.cnn.com and www.hud.gov
* Attend a homeownership workshop
* Talk with several real estate agents before signing a contract
* Read The First-Time Homebuyer magazine

5. Make a Shopping List
Searching for a home involves asking yourself a lot of questions. Where do you want to live? How are the schools in that area? How is the commute to your job?  How high are the property taxes? What is the crime rate of the community? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need? What special features would you like your house to have? Write down the answers to these questions. Your list will help you stay organized and focused.

6. Time Your Purchase
Most real estate transactions take about thirty days from the time the home is put under contract until you can close. Time your purchase according to your current living situation, whether you are renting, need to be in a town before the school year starts, or must soon be close to a new job.

7. Hire a Licensed Real Estate Agent
An agent will search through listings for you, make appointments, conduct research for you, and walk you through the entire process of buying a home. Real estate agents also have current real estate market and sales data to help you avoid overspending on a home purchase.

8. Hire a Licensed Home Inspector
A home inspector will check the condition of your property before you buy it and issue you a detailed report highlighting any defects. If expensive defects are revealed, you may be able to negotiate repairs or a price reduction or even terminate the contract. Having a home inspection will give you the truest picture of your home’s condition and will ultimately give you some peace of mind.

9. Do A Final Walk Through
Don’t skip the final walk through. The walk through gives you one last look at the property you are buying to ensure it is in the condition you expect it to be in. If there are any problems with the property, it is better to find out before you close, rather than after you’ve moved in, so you have the time and opportunity to fix any issues.

Jessica P. Beganski is a licensed Realtor with A Buyer’s Market, LLC. She may be reached at jessica@buyeragentct.com.