There are normally many questions that home buyers will have throughout the process. Even an experienced home buyer can forget exactly how the process works and what the proper steps are to ensure the process is relatively smooth.

When buying a home, one of the most important things to understand is that “no question is a dumb question.” If you’re unsure of something when buying a home, ask! There are many questions that home buyers seem to ask quite often. Some questions are before starting the home buying process, during a house hunt, while writing a contract, or after an offer is accepted.

If you’re a first time home buyer, talking with a bank before looking at homes is strongly suggested, as there are many first time home buyer programs available. These programs can vary from state to state and county to county, so knowing exactly what’s available to you, is critical.

When buying a home, you have the option to perform several types of inspections from experts like the playground health & safety audit specially if you have children and want an space for them to play. The purchase offer you write can be contingent upon a satisfactory home inspection, pest inspection, chimney inspection, radon test, and many other inspections. In most cases, it’s recommended that when buying a home, you at the bare minimum have a home inspection. There are home inspection findings that are more common than others, however, no two homes are the same so it’s a great idea to get the home inspected.

Another important reason to talk with a bank before looking at homes is so you understand exactly what costs are associated with buying a home. There are many home buyers who don’t understand the difference between a down payment, pre-paid items, and escrows, which can be thoroughly explained by a mortgage professional. A mortgage professional can give you advice on the type of financing you should be looking to obtain and also whether or not you should request the seller to contribute towards your closing costs, also known as a seller’s concession.