What it Takes to Purchase a home

Okay, so we know that homeownership is a large stepping stone in the grand scheme of major events we all wish to happen. While we all entertain the idea, there are many that do not act on this initial thought. Why is this?

The main reason is feeling like it is a long drawn out process, maybe the persons credit situation is not ideal at the moment, or it could be the fear of having to obtain a large down payment. 

First and foremost, let me assure you, the process can be long, however, I work very hard to streamline and educate not only my buyers, but my sellers. Education is the fun part for me. Working hard has never been an issue and I actually thrive in doing so. While you may be concerned that you don't qualify because maybe you had a credit hiccup, believe me when I say this, YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Many people have the unforeseen happen and may have a blemish or so on their credit, but that is NO REASON to give up on the idea. You can restart... That is the beauty of credit, it is NOT PERMANENT. It may take a moment, but anything worth having is worth fighting for right??!! 

My suggestion to any person looking to purchase a home is check your credit. You can do so once a year for FREE at annualcreditreport.com. Now, you may have to pay to see the scores but checking the credit is important for verification purposes. Just FYI, Identity theft is a serious problem... I am sure you have gotten those crazy IRS calls that are scams, the car Warranty Calls, and even the Student loan forgiveness phone calls. Our information is out there and the only way to protect it is to stay in tune with your credit bureaus. For you newbies to credit, there are THREE credit reporting agencies. You have Equifax, Experian and Trans Union (you get all three free to view through annualcreditreport.com, but FYI, I learned the hard way many years ago, PRINT them or save them to a PDF on your computer. The reason I say this is because they will not let you go back in and view them again for free once you back out of the program. 

Now, many potential homebuyers that have never talked to a lender or a Realtor are UNAWARE of the First time homebuyer down payment assistance programs. There are many programs in-line to help people with qualifying income and credit to purchase a home with little out of pocket expense. I tell everyone, if you can qualify for the program it is a GREAT resource and allows you to save your money as a reserve for your mortgage payments. While I understand many may not feel home ownership is for them, really sit down and analyze how much you pay in rent on an annual basis. Do you get anything back for that money you pay to give your landlord equity?? He gets the tax write offs and you get a place to live. Where is your benefit exactly?

These are just little thoughts to consider. When you are ready to learn more about the process, call me, I would love to talk you through the process and how we can build your credit to get you ready. The goal is to get you into a home that is affordable for your budget and hopefully save you money compared to your rent...