Home Buying Tools

Building a new home is an exciting and at times overwhelming experience. The truth is, most people who have a positive home-buying experience took the time to prepare for it. Our Home Buying Tools are here to help answer your questions. When you are ready to speak to one of our team members we are standing by to answer your questions in a timely and helpful manner. Just call us at 866-442-4460 or register online for more information.

Here are a few quick tips to help get you started: 

- Before you start looking at homes, figure out how much you can afford to pay and stick to that number. Take a look at your overall financial situation, your income, obligations, size of your family, and so on to determine how much of a down payment you can make and how much you can afford to pay each month. Use those numbers to calculate the maximum purchase price you can afford and refuse to even look at new homes for sale that cost more than that. 

- Get your financing in place before you start shopping for your home. This lets you move quickly when you find the house you want. As you talk with lenders and mortgage brokers, get all the details and costs in writing so you aren’t surprised at the closing table. Ask to see and read all the loan documents in advance. And don’t agree to a loan you can’t afford. 

- Write down what you want in a house. List what you must have, would like to have but could do without, and consider totally unacceptable. Evaluate each house (or floor plan, if you are considering a custom home builder) you look at according to these parameters. If a house is missing features that you require or has one that you have listed as unacceptable, don’t waste time looking at it. 

- Choose the geographic areas that are acceptable and don’t look anywhere else. Consider proximity to work, schools, shopping, and so on. That “perfect” house isn’t so perfect if the location doesn’t meet your needs.

Home Buying Tools