You've finally decided you want to buy a piece of Tampa real estate. What do you do now? Here are a few tips for getting the best deal for your money:

Check Out Your Credit

The first thing you'll want to do is order a copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Look for inaccuracies in:

• Name
• Address
• Creditors
• Late payments
• Delinquencies

After you've reviewed your credit report and know your credit score, you're ready to make improvements to your report, if your credit score is too low. Send a written "Notice of Correction" to the credit bureaus. It can be up to 200 words. If needed, you can explain why you fell behind on a particular debt, and every time a lender accesses the report, they'll see your explanation.

It can take several months to for your credit score to go up. However, it's well worth the effort to get a better interest rate. It can save you thousands on your Tampa real estate.

Get Pre-approved

Before you start looking at properties, it's a good idea to get a pre-approval letter from a lender. The lender takes into consideration your income and credit history. Then the lender determines the loan amount for which you qualify.

Most pre-approval letters list the maximum amount for which you are approved, not necessarily the amount you can afford. Look carefully at your budget so that you don't get too excited about the number and get into more house than you can afford.

There are several benefits to getting pre-approved. It allows you and your Tampa real estate agent to narrow down the house search. That way you won't waste time seeing properties you can't afford. Also, sellers will give your bid more weight if you're pre-approved.

It may be best to get pre-approved by a well known local lender or national lender. When you make an offer many sellers and their Realtors will feel more comfortable with the pre-approval from a lender they know rather than a pre-approval from some unknown Internet company or one run out of someone's apartment.

Are you a first-time buyer? You have just made a fabulous decision for your future. There are tons of great buys in the Tampa real estate market. I'm a specialist in this community and would love to help you buy the home of your dreams. Call me now at 813-469-3163 or email me at Blog@SweetHomeTampaBlog.com.