Here are my lessons learned from buying a house.
  1. Don't skimp on a lawyer.  A lawyer will cost between $500-$1000.  But in the long run, that's about a half of a percent of the cost of a ~$200,000 house.
  2. Try a paperless loan.  That sounds nice, doesn't it?
  3. Add about $2000 to the estimated closing costs.
  4. Try going with a reputable mortgage lender.  More on this later, unless Quicken Loans really impresses me.
  5. Choose a lawyer and a bank that are close to where you live so you don't have to travel and make extra plans for the closing date.
  6. Set a price limit on the houses you want to look for.  Then look for houses that are about $50,000 less than your limit.  You can't afford what you think you can afford.
  7. Expect to spend an exuberant amount of money for things like home inspections, loan application, and title insurance.
  8. Don't put any money down for the down payment.  What's the point?  Your measly little savings account with $15,000 in it will lower your monthly payments by about $50.  That's stupid.  Finance 100% of the house and spend your cash on something useful, like toys from Home Depot.
#money