I have been a lurker on these boards for several years. In late July, I decided to explore my options to purchase a new home. Went through the preapproval process and started my home search in early August. Found a new construction property that I liked. Signed the purchase contract on August 15th and today I closed (yes 2 weeks later). I thought the process would've been daunting especially after reading some of the horror stories on here but thanks to a great realtor and loan officer they made it happen.
Lessons learned:
1. Do your homework and be prepared. This site helped me alot.
2. Get all of your documents (paystubs, tax returns, bank statements, etc.) ready in electronic format.
3. Shop around and do not take no for an answer. I dealt with two different loan officers from the same company and they were night and day.
4. Be prepared for any bumps along the way. There were some stressful moments but overall it was a breeze.
