Buyer’s Advantage

How to get educated on home buying. Owning a home has always been an important part of the American Dream.

Whether you’re looking for your first home or have bought homes before, we’ve provided helpful tips for you.  Check out some of our help full tips.

1. Before You Move

2. The Home Buying Process

3. How we can help.

If you still have questions, feel free to email us. We would love help! You need to become a homeowner!

Home Buyers moving

 

 

 

  • Improve your credit score. A high credit score will get you lower interest rate on your loan.
  • Figure out what you can afford.  Then stick to the budget.
  • Save for down payment, closing costs, home Inspection etc.
  • Do a home Inspection
  • Get pre-approved for a mortgage. …
  • Buy the neighborhood .
  • 3 rules in Real Estate-Location-location-location

It’s common to put 20% down, but many lenders now permit much less, and first-time home buyer programs allow as little as 3% down. But putting down less than 20% may mean higher costs and paying for private mortgage insurance, and even a small down payment can still be hefty. For example, a 5% down payment on a $200,000 home is $10,000.

There are lots of mortgage options out there, each with their own combination of pros and cons. If you’re struggling to come up with a down payment, check out: Calhafa

The amount you put down also affects your monthly mortgage payment and interest rate. If you want the smallest mortgage payment possible, opt for a 30-year fixed mortgage. But if you can afford larger monthly payments, you can get a lower interest rate with a 20-year or 15-year fixed loan.

But even if the home is right, the neighborhood could be all wrong. So be sure to:

  • Research nearby schools, even if you don’t have kids, since they affect the resale value .

  • Look at local safety and crime statistics.

  • Map the nearest hospital, pharmacy, grocery store and other amenities you’ll use.

  • Drive through the neighborhood on various days and at different times to check out traffic, noise and activity levels.

Probably the most important step is to hire a Buyer’s agent first. But you don’t have to if you prefer to go to open houses and look through a bunch of homes online. Mostly, an agent will save you time.

  • An agent can send you listings directly from MLS that fit your parameters, and you won’t waste time looking at  listings that are already under contract.
  • Agents often know of new listings coming up that are not yet on the market.
  • You can waste the agent’s gas and not your own when you tour homes.
  • Some agents will preview for you.
  • An agent can generally spot problems with the house and advise you accordingly.