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The Right Time to Buy Your First HomeThere are many real estate market forecasts and predictions available - however the bottom line is that if you want to buy your first home—there is no wrong time. This is because the motivation to buy is not determined by regional market conditions or by location, but rather by your personal needs. Industry opinions, economic reports, and investor speculation do not sway or predict when a particular individual will be ready to buy. For the great majority of people, the most compelling reasons to buy a home are based on individual circumstances and personal needs. Some of these factors are:• Family needs and desires for children/parents/in-laws/couples • Convenience to home, work, school, social activities • New work situation • Sense of achievement or fulfillment • Freedom and independence • Sense of security and privacy Even though there are many changes in the market, both up and down—people still need and want to buy homes. This desire to buy a home is deeply rooted in the fabric of our national consciousness. The intrinsic value of homeownership—defined as worth based on perception of value--gives far more satisfaction than ROI calculators can quantify. Today, there are many different loan programs with flexible terms to fit all buyers. There are city and county down-payment assistance programs to assist in buying a home. There are condos and manufactured homes to close the affordability gap. For future buyers with blemished credit, there are many debt reduction and counseling programs to help gain a fresh start. How do you make the leap to become a homeowner? First, you must determine that you want to buy a home. Sounds simple, yet many people find that getting started is the hardest part. There are perceived obstacles in the minds of many would-be homeowners: Can we save enough money for the down payment? How can we get out of our current lease? Where can we afford to live? The goal is home ownership, and there are many steps to reach the goal. You may not be financially ready yet, but you need to ascertain where you are NOW in relation to your goal. Get your finances in order. Accurately determine your financial situation and check your credit to determine where you fall as a borrower. Look at all of your available assets for your down payment and examine all of the finance options available to you. If you have some credit blemishes, take the time to make timely payments to your creditors to present the best financial picture to your home lender. Make sure that you have a track record of stability in your employment history. Postpone any major purchases such as cars, motorcycles, or large appliances until after you close escrow. Your actual home purchase may still be 12-18 months down the road, but you can still prepare for it now. Get pre-approved for your mortgage. Once you've cleared the financial hurdles, talk to your lender or broker to find out how much you can afford to borrow along with the expected out-of-pocket costs you will need to incur for the closing. This will include the required down payment (if necessary) along with funds for closing costs, which can run 3-4% of the purchase price. Pre-approval also allows you to shop for a home with an accurate price range. If you are buying in a seller's market, you may want to search for homes that are considerably below your approved price range, so that you can have the most room for negotiation. Find a credible licensed real estate agent. Look for an agent that can work with you based on YOUR needs and your schedule. Check references of previous clients and make sure that he or she is responsive and available to you. You may not know exactly what you want in terms of a new home, and your agent should work with you to determine your needs and help you find a property that meets your immediate and future needs. Your agent should be familiar with the area where you plan to move. Check with family and friends for successful agent referrals. Ask them how satisfied they were with his/her services and if they would use them again. Become an informed and practical buyer. Once you determine where you would like to live, determine what factors are most important for your family. Calculate your new commute time and research school information for your children. You may want to consider the proximity to a place of worship and shopping in the area. Make sure to evaluate the surrounding factors that are most important to you, along with factors that are least important. Find a home that works for you. Check out the floorplan to make sure that it meets your needs. Envision yourself along with your family, living in the home. What are the key points of consideration for your home? If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, then you want to make sure that the kitchen can accommodate your habits. If you will be working from home, make sure that your home office setup will work. Make sure that all of your telecommunications and electrical needs can be met. Is the backyard adequate for your family? Do you need a garage? Are you willing to make major repairs to the home? Does the style reflect your taste? Can the home grow with you over the next 5 years, 10 years or 30 years? Make the offer. Once you have located a property that meets your needs, make an offer based on the listing price, along with comparables information and market considerations. Your agent can work with you to determine the best price, along with any contingencies for the sale. Some strong purchase offers include: • Short contingency removal periods • Short escrow periods • Increased cash deposit • Love letter from buyer • Pre-approved letter from lender guarantee for purchase price It is good to get an independent home inspection, so that you can know what the potential pitfalls and future maintenance needs may be. Your offer may be accepted as-is; you may face a counter-offer from the seller, or you may be rejected. In a seller's market, you may find yourself bidding with several other buyers for a single piece of property. Work with your real estate agent to determine what is customary in your area. This is when his/her negotiation skills really come in handy! Once your offer has been accepted, you will enter an escrow period, where all of the title research will be handled, funding requirements met; tax and title transfer paperwork managed. Prior to the close of escrow, you will sign all of your finance paperwork, and pay your remaining deposit and closing fees. After funding is complete, the title company will record the new purchase deed with the County Recorder's office, and you will officially “close”. Congratulations! Now get ready to move! Make sure to connect your new utilities (and disconnect your old service) along with mail forwarding. Everyone wants someplace to call their own, and whatever your financial picture, there is always a way to purchase a home. The purchase of a home can be a lifelong achievement, but one that is truly a worthy accomplishment. About the author: Cecelia Taylor writes for San Diego Real Estate Authority. Find detailed descriptions of over 85 communities in the San Diego real estate market; compare average real estate prices in these communities and more. Everything you need to make an informed decision about purchasing your next home in San Diego is right here. Circulated by Article Emporium Real Estate Inspection - Do It Yourself Why should you do your own real estate inspection? To get a better deal. It isn't necessary to learn building codes, and you probably should use a professional inspector in any case. The point of learning what to look for is to have negotiating points. Home Inspection Chec... 13 Extra Costs to be Aware of Before Buying a Home Whether you're looking to buy your first home, or trading up to a larger one, there are many costs - on top of the purchase price - that you must figure into your calculation of affordability. These extra fees, such as taxes and other additional costs, could surprise you with an un... The Right Time to Buy Your First Home There are many real estate market forecasts and predictions available - however the bottom line is that if you want to buy your first home—there is no wrong time. This is because the motivation to buy is not determined by regional market conditions or by location, but rather by yo... How to Create a Simple Real Estate Business Plan Becoming a full time property rehabber is actually a very easy process. So why do so many investors get it wrong, or even worse, do nothing? Simple: NO BUSINESS PLAN! Make no mistake about it: This is a business!. If you invest time and capital with the aim of... Tips & Advice on Choosing an E-Lender/Broker WHAT TO AVOID - WHAT TO LOOK FOR! • E-Lenders/Brokers who are solely web-based. These include mortgage sites that promise you three to four quotes on your loan. • Lenders that will not give you their loan officer's last name, cell phone or home phone number. ... Sell Your Real Estate Notes People sell real estate notes to raise cash quickly. A real estate note is just the loan document created when you financed the sale of your house or investment property. It could be a mortgage note, or a land-contract or contract-for-sale. The point is that the buyer is making pay... Real Estate Investor Question: Rehab and Sell, or Rehab and Keep? Here's another awesome question I received from my discussion board. The question; Why bother keeping property after it's rehabbed? Why not sell it after the rehab and GET PAID! Of course, the first questions that you must answer is how emergent is your need for quick ca... Protective Covenants – Buying Land or Homes In addition to zoning, some properties have covenants recorded at the courthouse that “run with the land.” These “protective covenants” can put a serious pinch in your plans for a piece of property. Protective Covenants A protective covenant remains in effect as... Selling Your Home – What Can Go Wrong With Pricing and Loans So, you're selling your home (house, townhouse, condo, apartment, land, lot, farm, ranch, etc.), what can go wrong? The sad fact is that a lot of things can go wrong. However, don't despair, there are almost as many solutions as problems. In this article, we look at problems rela... Pricing Your Home To Sell When you're selling your own property, whether it's a house, townhouse, condo, apartment, a finished lot, raw land, a farm, a ranch, or whatever, the first thing to get right is the price you ask for it. If you work with a broker, the legwork is done for you. When you work as a F... LIGURIA, MAY 2004. In a small, hill-top village home, overlooking the sea in the Italian region of Liguria, one can find the heartbeat of a vibrant, new, online marketplace, which - up against some of the world's e-shopping giants LIGURIA, MAY 2004. In a small, hill-top village home, overlooking the sea in the Italian region of Liguria, one can find the heartbeat of a vibrant, new, online marketplace, which - up against some of the world's e-shopping giants, like E-Bay and Amazon – is quickly becoming a for... Fix And Flip - A Real Estate Formula Making money with a "fix and flip" property is a great way to make money in real estate. However, it isn't about repairing drywall and planting flowers. It's all about how you do the numbers. People often buy and sell a fixer-upper without a definite plan. They buy a house... Real Estate Appraisal - Do Your Own For single family homes, there are two basic methods used in real estate appraisal. They are replacement cost analysis, and using comparable sales. A third appraisal method, based on capitalization, is used for income properties, and is covered in another article. In figur... Negotiating the Sale of Your Home Negotiating a successful sale of your home requires good communication skills. You must sustain the buyer's interest and trust during the process. Many of our clients have been very experienced negotiators, and from them we have learned that the goal is to reach a “good agreement... Hard Money Lenders -- "No Money Down" The Easy Way Would it help you as a real estate investor to be able to "Close For Cash in Days," even if you're tapped out financially? Hard money lenders are perhaps the best way to get 100% financing with easy qualifying, money for fix- up, and fast closings.
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