To Buy or Not to Buy?
Are you currently renting? How do you know if it's the right time for you to buy your first home? Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Purchasing your own home is a great investment that provides specific financial advantages, including equity buildup, value appreciation potential, and tax benefits. (It’s also a forced savings plan that you cannot get from renting!)
- Done right, home ownership lays the foundation for a life of financial security and personal choice.
- There is never a wrong time to buy the right home. All you need to do in the short run is find a good buy and make sure you have the financial ability to hold it for the long run.
- Here’s the most important rule for keeping your stress to a minimum: you don’t have to know everything.
It's normal to ask how much you can afford. Ultimately, your lender will preapprove you for a certain amount, but YOU will decide what you're comfortable paying every month.
Be sure to follow these six steps to financing your home:
1. Choose a loan officer.
2. Make a loan application and get preapproved.
3. Determine what you want to pay and select a loan option.
4. Submit to the lender an accepted purchase offer contract.
5. Get an appraisal and title commitment.
6. Obtain funding at closing.