Buying Real Estate? – Watch These 5 Steps! LOL
Buying Real Estate? – Watch These 5 Steps! LOL Step 1. Knowing When You’re Ready Buying a home is so grown-up and impressive, but there are a few things you should think about before you start telling everyone how grown up and impressive you are. Step 2. Mortgage Lending 101 Unless you have a boatload of cash under your mattress, buying a home usually costs more money than you currently have. First, you’ll need a competitively-priced loan. Step 3. The Home Search You’re really doing it! You know what you can afford and you’ve got your pre-approval letter. But before you buy the home of your dreams, you’ve gotta find it first. Step 4. Making The Offer Here you are, ready to make an offer on your first home! And since you’re about to part with an insane amount of money, it’s time to get close to your REALTOR®. Step 5. Closing the Sale – YES There is nothing more awesome than taking ownership of your new dream home. But before you do that, you better loosen up your writing hand. Did someone say paperwork? Written by Ruby Miranda on September 29, 2018. Posted in Buy A Home, Buyer Tips, First Time Home Buyers, Home Loan Process, Raving Fans, Real Estate Knowledge Video Series, Testimonials / ReviewsTags: Buy Your Home, Buyer Tips, Financing A Home, First Time Buyer, Home Appraisals, Home Inspections, Home Loan Process, Real Estate Knowledge Video Series Trackback from your site. Leave a Reply
How to Figure Out How Much House You Can Buy
How to Figure Out How Much House You Can Buy If you’re looking to buy a home but are unsure of how much house you can afford, here are five steps you can use to figure it out. Looking to buy in the Greater Houston Area? Get a full MLS accessLooking to Sell in the Greater Houston Area? Get a free home market analysis One of the questions I get asked a lot as a Realtor is, “How much house can I buy?” In other words, how can you determine what your housing budget is when purchasing a house? There are five steps you must follow: Figure out your household’s income after taxes. What do you and other income earners who will be contributing to the household bills bring home each month after taxes? Look at your last paycheck stub, ask your HR department, or use an online paycheck calculator to calculate this amount. Make a list of your household’s recurring monthly expenses. This should include bills you pay every month and bills you only pay some months—like car insurance. If you don’t already have a way you’ve been tracking your budget, look at your checkbook, your bank statements, and your credit card statements to help figure out what you’ve been spending. Note which expenses are optional and which are necessary. Make a list of expenses that you will add to when you become a homeowner. Expenses you’ll have that you didn’t have as a renter include water, trash, and home maintenance. You’ll also pay property taxes and hazard insurance. If you’re moving further from your job, your transportation costs may increase as well. If you’re going to make a downpayment of less than 20%, you’ll have to factor in the monthly cost of private mortgage insurance (PMI). Remember, it’s best to estimate high when planning your budget just to be on the safe side. I can refer you to a local lender who can help you with these steps. Determine how much you will have left after expenses to spend on housing. A lender can help you determine your maximum monthly payment by calculating what they call a debt-to-income ratio. Basically, this is what gets paid into the home versus what gets paid out on a monthly basis. Once you’ve determined your household budget, you should have an idea of what you’re comfortable paying on a monthly basis for a house. Don’t forget to leave room for emergencies, retirement, or whatever else you want to save for. In other words, count savings as a non-negotiable expense. Figure out how much house you can buy. The No. 1 way to truly know what your budget will allow for on a house note is to sit with a mortgage lender and have them look at your credit score and finances. A great lender will be able to help you figure out what your ‘no-more-than’ amount should be, which will determine which price points you should shop in. As a Realtor, I can help guide you to a local lender who will be an expert in these areas. If you have any other questions about this topic or you have a topic in mind you would like to see me discuss in a future video, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. I’d love to hear from you! Contact Us Written by Ruby Miranda on September 23, 2018. Posted in Buy A Home, Buyer Tips, Financing A Home, First Time Home Buyers, Home Loan ProcessTags: Buy Your Home, Buyer Tips, Clifton Saunders, Financing A Home, First Time Buyer, Ruby Miranda Trackback from your site. Leave a Reply
Why Consider Buying in a Seller’s Market?
Even though we are in a seller’s market, it’s a great time to buy. Here’s why. Looking to buy in the Greater Houston Area? Get a full MLS accessLooking to Sell in the Greater Houston Area? Get a free home market analysis If we’re in a seller’s market, why would you consider buying a home in 2017? Well, according to Forbes, home prices appreciated beyond expectations in 2016 and mortgage rates were flirting with record lows before inevitably passing 4% for the first time in two years. Home prices rose in every month of 2016, with the largest increase being in the last half of the year. According to experts, prices will continue their climb in 2017, but at a lower rate. This means you can take advantage of the slowdown in appreciation right now. Mortgage rates are going up, too. Economists predict that they will increase by at least 1% by the end of 2017. If you wait to buy a house, you might not be able to afford the same home you could now. Why would you wait to save up and have less buying power? Economists predict interest rates will go up by 1% this year. More and more millennials are transitioning from renting to buying, but the inventory of homes is limited and probably won’t grow significantly in the next few years. Home builders aren’t building enough homes to make up for the shortage, either. With mortgage rates and home prices increasing, affordability will become a problem in the near future. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Contact Us Written by Ruby Miranda on September 23, 2018. Posted in Buy A Home, Buyer Tips, Financing A Home, First Time Home Buyers, Home Loan Process, Market SnapshotTags: Buy Your Home, Buyer Tips, Financing A Home, First Time Buyer, Market Snapshot Trackback from your site. Leave a Reply
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