Financing:  Getting pre-approved for a home mortgage loan is you 1st and most important step for a number of reasons.

• First of all it will determine exactly what price range you should be looking in so you're not wasting your time looking at home not in your price range

• When you get pre-approved it will give you a good idea of what your payments will be in the price range you're looking.

• It gives you more leverage to negotiate price and other terms when you can prove you have been pre-approved and qualify for financing.

• A lot of Real Estate Agents and/or home sellers won't even consider an offer unless you been pre-approved.

• Many time when we get people pre-approved we find they would be much better of to 6 months or so to buy a home and can work on getting credit scores raised or other loans paid off so they qualify for a better financing program or lower interest rates.  If  this is the case we will be up front and honest with you and explain what you need to do to ensure you qualify for the best financing programs.

• Click here for a FREE no obligation pre-approval application.

Properties/Homes for Sale:  Many people are under the impression that since I work for RE/MAX that I can only sell RE/MAX listings, and that is simply not true.  We are a Full Service real estate company which mean I can sell ANY house in the state of Iowa no matter who has the home listed.  I even sell a number of For Sale By Owners every year. 

Closing Costs:  Closing cost are fees charged by the mortgage lender to to prepare your home loan.  Closing costs typically run $2,500 - $3,500 (depending price of the home is, if it's a new home and some other factors).  It's very common anymore to ask sellers to pay part or all  of your closing cost if needed. 

Closing: On average it takes about 3 - 4 weeks from the time an offer is accepted to when you actually close on your  home (although closing dates further out than 3 - 4 weeks can be negotiated).