With rates going up and home prices up, how can I afford to buy a home??
You have to ask yourself is this even possible. Several things can help you with answering that question, but Yes, it is possible
Look at:
1. Paying off debit, like credit cards and Installment loans
2. Putting more down and look at getting a gift from family to help with those additional costs
3. Buying down those higher rates
4. Running those numbers in advance and work towards that goal in advance
5. Look at programs with down payment assistance
You can do all these things and organize what works best for you buy working with your mortgage broker.
Now your per-approved its time to get serious about looking for houses lets start with open houses, find an agent and make sure that your agent is knowledgeable about the area you are looking in, a plus for the years that they have been in the business because of connections and knowledge that they have gained. Navigating this time in our history having someone that is in the know is best. For me having the mortgage and real-estate side it has been a blessing to my clients.
Now sit down with your agent and go over criteria:
Where you want to live country/city
Type of schools
Type of home
# Beds and Baths
How many Garage Spaces
Land size
Making these choices based on your needs is where having a good agent helps you narrow down what is important and what is negotiable.
What does that mean for me?
How many bedrooms and or bathrooms do I want or need?
Do I want a 2 or 3 story or is a ranch more your style?
What about a front porch or deck off the back?
Do you want lots of light coming in?
Are you a cook and a large kitchen is in order or just a large refrigerator for those leftover take out meals
Do I want a certain amount of square footage?
How about that garage? 1,2 or 3 car for those tools and work space
Do I want a yard that I can get my hand dirty and creative or do I want simple and easy? Maybe a NO maintenance Yard
Go visit an OPEN HOUSE or 2 and get an idea of what you want and what you will get for what you can afford.
What is out there, compare!!
Make a check list of things you want because we can all get caught up in the first look excitement. Once you have your house options then you can take a deeper look at that properties and make a different type of check list.
What about PRE-APPROVAL, Knowing your ability to purchase and what you can afford can be 2 different things. You can be pre approved for a specific amount but based on what your personal spending habits are you might want to look for something less than the max of what you are told you are approved to purchase.
Call with any question or just to chat about what you can look at in your future.