The allure of first-time homeownership is undeniable. Whether your aim is to establish generational wealth or secure a valuable asset for retirement, the journey to owning your first home is an exciting venture. However, amidst the excitement, it’s crucial to recognize that the road to homeownership involves several essential steps before you can truly relax and relish in your new abode. At Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, we understand the significance of this milestone, which is why we’re here to provide valuable guidance tailored for first-time home buyers.
Here are 13 expert tips to help guide you through the process of buying your first home:
1. Assess Your Readiness for Financial Commitment:
As a first-time home buyer, it’s paramount to ensure you’re fully prepared for the financial commitment that comes with homeownership. Before diving into the market, take a moment to evaluate your readiness. Consider the following questions:
– Am I prepared to commit to residing in this home and community for a minimum of five years?
– Do I possess an emergency fund capable of covering at least three months’ worth of expenses?
– Is my income stable and sufficient to support homeownership?
Should any of these questions give you pause, it might be wise to delay your home purchase for the time being. Additionally, assess whether any upcoming life events could impact your location, income, or expenses, as these factors could influence your decision-making process.
At Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance, we’re committed to empowering first-time home buyers with the knowledge and resources needed to navigate the complexities of the housing market. Stay tuned for more insightful tips to help you achieve your dream of homeownership.
2. Prioritize Mortgage Preapproval:
In the exhilarating pursuit of your first home, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of house hunting, especially if you’re eager to transition from your current living situation, perhaps with parents. However, it’s prudent to obtain a mortgage preapproval before embarking on your property search.
Understanding the distinction between prequalification and preapproval is crucial. Let’s clarify:
- Prequalification Letter: This provides an estimate of the home loan amount you might secure based on a preliminary assessment of your income and related information.
- Preapproval Letter: A mortgage preapproval is an official document furnished by a lender, detailing the precise loan amount you qualify for based on comprehensive financial data, including W-2 forms, bank statements, and credit score.
3. Advantages of Preapproval:
• Clarity on Affordability: With a preapproval in hand, both you and your real estate agent gain insight into your purchasing power, facilitating a targeted search within your budget.
• Enhanced Offer Strength: Sellers seek assurance that the buyer is financially capable. A preapproval demonstrates your readiness to fulfill the purchase, bolstering your offer’s appeal.
• Mitigation of Surprises: Preapproval minimizes the likelihood of unforeseen setbacks or delays during the mortgage process, offering a smoother transaction experience.
- Uphold Your Credit Standing:
- Maintaining a favorable credit profile is imperative during the home buying journey. Avoid opening new lines of credit, such as credit cards or personal loans, as these actions can impact your creditworthiness, potentially jeopardizing final loan approval.
4. Consistently Timely Payments:
Adhere to timely bill payments, avoiding any actions that might alter your credit rating. Lenders prioritize reliability and consistency in financial behavior, crucial for securing favorable loan terms.
- Familiarize Yourself with Loan Options:
- Diversified mortgage loan options afford flexibility in tailoring your home purchase strategy. Understanding the various loan types empowers informed decision-making:
- Conventional Loans: Offering flexibility with down payments as low as 3%, conventional loans are a prevalent choice.
- Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Loans: Ideal for those with less stringent financial prerequisites, FHA loans permit down payments as low as 3.5% and accommodate lower credit scores.
- US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Loans: Tailored for rural or suburban homebuyers, USDA loans offer zero-down financing, subject to income eligibility criteria.
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Loans: Exclusive to veterans, active-duty military personnel, and qualified spouses, VA loans facilitate home purchases with no down payment requirement for eligible applicants.
Setting Up Automatic Savings:
Once you’ve established your homeownership goal, consider automating your savings process by directing funds to your savings account regularly. This disciplined approach, especially geared towards accumulating your down payment, offers predictability and aids in determining your readiness to transition into homeownership.
Securing Mortgage Approval:
5. Saving for a Down Payment:
For many first-time home buyers, accumulating funds for a down payment represents a significant financial milestone, particularly with conventional loan requirements often demanding up to 20% down payment. However, various assistance programs cater to first-time buyers, offering down payment assistance loans and grants, thereby reducing the financial burden.
- First-time home buyers may benefit from these programs, which range from 0% down for VA loans to 3.5% down for FHA loans, helping to mitigate the need for a large upfront payment.
- Notably, achieving a down payment of at least 20% of the purchase price allows buyers to bypass private mortgage insurance (PMI) requirements associated with conventional loans.
- FHA initiatives prioritize supporting first-time buyers, extending access to state programs, tax incentives, and FHA loans for eligible applicants.
6. Don’t forget closing costs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) outlines specific criteria defining first-time home buyers, encompassing various scenarios to ensure inclusivity and accessibility to assistance programs.
- Factor in Closing Costs:
- While earmarking funds for the down payment is crucial, it’s equally vital to account for closing costs when preparing to finalize your mortgage loan. Closing costs comprise various upfront expenses remitted to the lender in exchange for facilitating loan services.
- Common closing costs include attorney fees, pest inspections, appraisal fees, escrow fees, homeowners insurance, title insurance expenses, discount points, and property taxes.
- The Closing Disclosure document provides a breakdown of anticipated closing costs, typically ranging between 2% to 5% of the total loan amount.
- First-time buyers may explore government-backed grants or loans designed to alleviate closing costs burden. Additionally, negotiating seller concessions is a common practice, potentially covering a portion of or specific closing fees.
7. List Your Needs, Nonnegotiables And Nice-To-Haves
Your reason for buying a home will be your north star for making decisions about your purchase. If your goal is to dip your toe into real estate investment, a duplex may be the perfect option for you.
If you’ve decided to move closer to older parents or a support system as you start a family, consider a condo or townhouse that’ll require less upkeep.
Once you’ve decided on the type of home that’s right for you, you can begin to prioritize which features you want in your home based on your needs.
For example, you might focus on finding a home with extra bedrooms if you plan to have children or need a home office. If pets are the light of your life, a big yard or a location near plenty of green spaces may be nonnegotiable.
Sit down and create a list of qualities you want and need in your new home. This will help you shop for homes more effectively and be less stressed when you compare properties.
8. Work With A Real Estate Agent
Work with a real estate agent to find the perfect property. Agents and REALTORS® are local professionals who are experts in the home buying process and your local market.
A real estate professional can help by:
- Showing you properties in your area that fit your needs and price range
- Attending showings with you to learn more about your priorities as a homeowner
- Helping you decide how much to offer for a property
- Submitting an offer letter on your behalf
- Helping you negotiate with the seller’s agent after you submit an offer
- Attending the closing with you to make sure everything is in order with your sale
Remember that only a buyer’s agent will work on your behalf. Don’t rely on the seller’s agent to represent your best interests. Always choose a qualified real estate agent to help you buy a home.
9. Be Confident When You Submit An Offer
You should never submit an offer on a home unless you’re 100% committed to the purchase – or you could risk losing your earnest money deposit, also known as a “good faith deposit.” Giving this money signals to the owner that you’re serious about the offer.
The deposit is typically equal to 1% – 3% of your total home price and goes toward your down payment. If you back out of the sale for a reason not listed in your offer letter, you’ll lose your earnest money deposit.
10. Hire An Inspector
You need to hire a professional inspector before getting a home. An inspection is different from the appraisal required by your lender. Here’s how:
- The appraisal: During an appraisal, your appraiser tells you and your lender how much your home is worth based on certain features of your home, market trends and recent sales of comparable properties (comps).
- The inspection: During a home inspection, the inspector tells you about specific problems with the property. You can use the results of your inspection to learn more about your home and request concessions from your seller.
An earnest money deposit letter often includes a home inspection contingency, which can allow you to invalidate an offer and not lose your deposit if extensive repairs are needed.
11. Stick To Your Budget
Many first-time home buyers get emotionally invested in a house, but this can backfire if you can’t get the loan for the house or don’t have the funds to address major property issues that the inspection revealed.
Don’t go over your budget for a house, even if the house seems perfect for you. Be sure to budget for repairs and renovations. The right home is out there for you, so keep searching until you find a home that fits your budget and satisfies your list of must-haves.
12. Save Physical Copies Of Your Paperwork
Once you get moving on a house purchase, don’t forget about the paperwork. We recommend keeping a physical copy of your mortgage statements, Closing Disclosure, deed and other related documents in a safe place.
Let anyone else named on your loan know where the documents are and how to access them in the event of an emergency.
13. Don’t Stop Learning
Investing in homeownership education can help you avoid making costly mistakes, prioritize smart investments that offer reliable ROIs, and build sweat equity in your first home.
Not sure where to start? Consider taking a first-time home buyers class, which can help you:
- Determine if you’re ready to be a homeowner
- Budget and manage your finances
- Calculate your home affordability
- Compare mortgage types and lenders
Both in-person and online real estate courses are available. Some programs even offer financial perks, such as low down payments and closing-cost assistance.
The Bottom Line: Plan Ahead When Buying A House For The First Time
Buying a home for the first time doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Wherever you land, it’s you and your loved ones who bring a home to life. Maintain your financial health so your quality-of-life increases, rather than decreases, with the purchase.
Our team of licensed insurance agents are here to help guide you on the home insurance side of things, but we also have great partners that can help on the mortgage & realtor side as well.
Reach out to us today to get the conversation started.