A realtor explains how to set yourself up as a homebuyer long before you ever start shopping

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March 27, 2017 9:46 PM

Part of being an excellent, prepared homebuyer is setting yourself up to qualify for a mortgage. Here's how you can get started.

Talk to mortgage lenders early.

There's no doubt buying your first home can be intimidating.

Not only is it a commitment to settle down in one place, but it's a huge financial decision.

So where do you start?

In preparing to buy, you need to make sure you have at least nine months to a year of consistent income in order to qualify for a mortgage, says Dana Bull, a 27-year-old realtor with Sotheby's International in Boston.

Bull bought her first home, a condo in Salem, Massachusetts, with her now-husband at just 22 years old, after working for nine months straight out of college.

Bull suggests talking to a lender at least two to three months before you're ready to buy, so you can find out what you need to do — or how much longer you'll need to work — to qualify for a mortgage in your price range, or simply to talk about the financial options available to you.

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