Buying a New Home? It’s Never Too Soon to Prepare!
So, you’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to stop paying rent and buy a home of your own? Let us give you some pointers so your finances are in good shape and you can concentrate on enjoying the search!
Begin or continue a savings program
- You can buy a home with as little as 5% down payment, or even 3% if you’re a first time homebuyer. We’ll be glad to give you pricing scenarios so you’ll know how far your nest egg can stretch!
- Additionally, family gifts are an acceptable source of funds and there are down payment assistance programs sometimes available if your family meets certain income requirements!
Take a look at your credit report
- You can see all three bureaus online, at annualcreditreport.com or stop into any of our branches and make an appointment to sit down and do a credit review. This will give you plenty of time to clear up any discrepancies you may find or build your score if there’s a need. We’ll walk you through!
- As you position yourself to become a homeowner, please be careful about closing accounts as you pay them off. Although it’s counterintuitive, your score may suffer if you have fewer open trade lines. Let us guide you through!
Carefully choose a real estate agent
- As you build your home buying team, the agent you choose will have a big impact upon not only finding the home of your dreams, but helping you negotiate your best deal. She or he will work closely with us, your mortgage partner, to insure a smooth transaction from start to finish!
- Our HomeAdvantage™ not only helps you find a trusted Realtor, but gives you access to a complete Home Buying Center that allows you to search for homes, gather neighborhood information and even earn a rebate!
What are you waiting for? We’re here to guide you each step of the way!