How to buy a house: N00b edition

Get a flyer in the mail.

Realize you might just be able to afford the houses advertised.

Decide it's too far away.

Look at the prices again; show flyer to husband.

Visit sales office, which is nearby.

Get excited by the models displayed.

Drive to location to have a look anyway.

It's actually not that far, just away from the shopping areas we're used to.

Drive back to sales office.

Make booking, pay booking fee.

Spend rest of the day screaming "OMG WHAT HAVE WE DONE?"

The next day, call loan officers we spoke to at the sales office.

Spend the rest of the week scrambling to get financial records in some semblance of order.

Fill out home loan applications, submit.

Back-and-forthing between loan officers from different banks trying to gauge how committed we would be.

Argue over whether to go for MRTA (mortgage-reducing term insurance). Or was it MLTA (mortgage-level term insurance)?

Receive calls saying offer letters have been prepared.

Maybank SS2 loan sales associate scuppers her own deal after turning nasty when informed we want to think it over.

Loan officer from Public Bank SEA Park wins the day thanks to his laid-back outlook.

Sign offer letter.

(There isn't much difference between interest rates at this point.)

Spend rest of the day screaming "OMG WHAT HAVE WE DONE?"

Scramble finances a little bit more when the memorandum of transfer, lawyer fees, etc., are due.

Collect sales and purchase agreement from developer, which includes floor plans and fixtures of the soon-to-be house.

Hunker down till 2016 when house will be completed.

Plan how each room will be done in the meantime.

Easy.