Buying real estate for the first time

Buying real estate for the first time

Gather your documents.

Get your documents in order. You'll need to have the following at hand:

• Two years of tax returns

• Pay stubs for two months of work showing your year-to-date earnings

• Bank statements for two months, including checking and savings accounts as well as any investment accounts you might have. For investment accounts, you may want to show up to six months' worth, depending on how volatile they are.

• Credit card statements for two months (if you don't pay off your credit cards every month)

You might need more than that if there's anything unusual about your financial situation—for example, if you work in a field where bonuses tend to be large and irregular or your employment status is precarious.