I Want To Buy My First Home - Congratulations! Buying your first home can be very exciting. Let me assist by providing some information to make your journey to home ownership a smooth trip.
Buying a home consists of two very complex transactions.
The first transaction is the purchase of the piece of real estate and all of the legalities involved with that transfer.
The second transaction, unless you are buying the home with cash, is the financing of the purchase. This has a completely different set of legal and credit requirements.
When looking to buy your first home you should find a reputable and knowledgeable mortgage professional to work with. This way you can obtain your pre-approval, which most Realtors will want you to have, find out how much of a down payment will be required, if any, and how much of a home you will be able to afford. This will allow you to immediately begin looking for homes that are within your price range and budget. Also, you will know how much of a payment you can afford and will feel comfortable with. Your personal mortgage professional will be able to assist you with finding a Realtor and answering any and all questions you will probably have throughout the loan process. While buying a home can be a very fun and exciting time, it can also be a little overwhelming. Finding a good mortgage professional is an important step.
First off, you will need to figure out if you can afford buying a home. Can you afford the taxes and insurance that will go with it? Can you afford the upkeep of the home? Remember you can't call a landlord to come fix a broken pipe. It helps to figure out a budget and keep track of your spending. Look and see what novelties you can live with out, i.e. visiting Starbucks everyday. The next step is to check your credit. Do you have any errors? If not, are there any late payments? Look at anything you can find to increase your score. Then get in touch with a reputable mortgage professional that will work with what is best for your needs and not theirs.
To ensure a smooth home finance process, purchase a copy of your credit report and examine it. If there are incorrect items on the report, contact the credit bureaus and have them remove them. Also find out if there are things you can to improve your credit scores. Higher credit scores translate into more choices on mortgage products.
At Milwaukee Mortgage Broker we will walk you through every part of your first home purchase. Contact us now to get started.
Be sure to ask your mortgage professional for a list of real estate agents that they know and trust. It is important to find a real estate agent that you are comfortable with, because you may be spending a lot of time with them.
After you close on your home loan avoid any major financial purchases, with home ownership comes home upkeep and maintenance. You will want to have money in reserve to cover these costs as things tend to go wrong and break at the wrong time! By having cash reserves for repairs and emergencies you can avoid using your credit cards to cover the expenses.
Even though these costs may seem inconvenient at times, there are many benefits to owning a home versus renting. Why pay someone else's mortgage when you can buy your own home for the same amount of money each month? The small maintenance bills here and there will be recouped many times over through appreciation and possible tax benefits.
What you need to know to buy your first home - Many people have a bit of fear when attempting something for the first time. A good example of this is the purchase of a home. The average consumer knows very little regarding the home purchase process. Between finding the right home, getting it inspected and finding the best financing, it is no wonder that some people are afraid to purchase a home.
To alleviate the stress of buying a home, consider the long term ramifications such as the tax benefits and equity you'll gain through appreciation.
Your first step is to find a mortgage professional that you can trust. That person will be able to preapprove you. The preapproval letter will contain the maximum purchase price, interest rate, contact information of the mortgage professional, and the date of the letter. Most preapprovals are good for 30 days. The preapproval letter is what you will need to show a realtor, before they will show you any houses.
Many first time home buyers are often confused about just what all goes into their monthly payment. Many lenders require escrow accounts to cover annual property taxes and homeowner's insurance. These costs will add to your montly payment and should be considered prior purchasing a home.
When looking to buy your first home you need to know what you want in a home. Do you need a 3 bedroom home because you have a wife and 2 children? Do you need a home that is wheel chair accessible? Do you need 2+ bathrooms because of teenage daughters? You should decide upon what you need out of your house and what functions are absolutely necessary to you and your family when looking for a home. It can be quite costly if you buy a home and then have to add an addition, remodel numerous rooms, add a bathroom, make the home wheel chair accessible, etc... after purchasing because you did not plan properly and buy a home that fit your needs.
Homeowner's insurance and Property taxes should not be overlooked when measuring your goals for homeownership. It will be important to understand these two other important aspects that will affect your monthly payments and overall cost.
First Time Home Buyer FHA Home Loan - Many first time home Home buyers do not have a large down payment for a new home. While many people think this may hold them back from home ownership not having a large down payment does not mean you cannot purchase a new home. FHA financing allows down payments as low as 3% and is used by many first time home buyers.
A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy can be discharged for as little as 2 years and still qualify for FHA financing. Re-established, timely credit is required if you have had a Bankruptcy.
FHA allows for all of your 3% down payment to come from a gift from a relative. Coupled with allowances for up to a 6% seller concession, you may qualify to purchase a home with little or no personal out of pocket expense.
If you don't qualify for a FHA home loan, a good First Time Home Buyer alternative program would be MyCommunity.
Multi-Family Homes can be purchased using FHA financing as well with as little as 3% down. A 6% seller concession can still be used for FHA Multi-Family financing.
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