What's a good first step when you're looking to buy your first house or condo? First, you need to make sure that you can afford it. This might seem silly, but there are a lot of first-time homebuyers that look at properties that are way out of their price range. What you can afford, will depend on the amount of money you have available for a down payment. It's easier for buyers who work as employees to get qualified for a mortgage, as opposed to those that are self-employed. The reason is simple, their income can be easily verified. According to Yahoo.com, a prequalification letter doesn't carry as much weight as a preapproval letter. If you can get a preapproval letter, than you're in a much better position to negotiate with a seller. Not only is a preapproval letter great when buying your first home, but you also need a good real estate agent to represent you. Real estate agents are great when it comes to finding out information about a specified property. Many people today are purchasing properties without agents but it's not recommended to do so. The goal for your real estate agent is to find the very best neighborhood that you can afford. It's also important not to buy a house that you're going to outgrow in the next couple of years. You want to buy a house that you're going to be comfortable in for a long time, maybe even forever. Real estate agents can help you choose that first home and they'll suggest if that property will have a good resale value or not. It's important to buy a property that will have a good resale value. In today's market there are a lot of homes that are located next to very busy streets or next to freeways and these properties have terrible resale values. You have to look for houses that have defects that are repairable, like an outdated decor or maybe some roof repairs. Houses that are near busy streets or train tracks aren't going to be improved as easily as a leaking roof. After having found that perfect house with the help of your agent, you can confidently make that purchase. If you're thinking of buying that first property in Raleigh, make sure to call the Raleigh movers to help you move. Our Raleigh moving company has been moving-in first time homeowners like yourself for four generations. Our Raleigh moving company is licensed and insured and our expert movers will quilt pad wrap your belongings so they'll never get damaged. If you want your first moving experience to be as good as your first home-buying experience, then call All My Sons of Raleigh today!