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HOW TO FINANCIALLY PREPARE YOURSELF BEFORE LOOKING AT A HOME
Too often home buyers fail to prepare themselves financially before looking for a home to purchase. Doing so is a common mistake that many future home buyers make even though this may be the largest purchase of their lives. Not taking the proper steps to set yourself up for success could mean that you do not get your dream home, or it costs you more than it should.
Here are some of the best tips for preparing yourself financially before starting the home search process. By doing so you’ll be two steps ahead of the game and well on your way to home ownership!
CONNECT WITH A LENDER FAR IN ADVANCE
Before you start driving around neighborhoods, flipping through listings online or even stopping in to speak with a Realtor, it would be a good idea to know what your buying power is today. If you have a goal to be able to buy into a particular neighborhood, you should put a plan in place to be able to achieve that.
Speaking with a lender first to develop a plan of action on how you can qualify to buy a home in that area or price range is critical.
My recommendation is that you have an initial discussion with a lender nine months to one year in advance. Sound crazy? I know many people do not know that far in advance that they may be buying a home next year. For those who do, this is extremely important.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PLAN SO FAR IN ADVANCE?
First, your lender will let you know what you can qualify for today based upon your income, down payment and credit score. There are other factors which play a part including credit events and large monthly payments on your credit report.
Income – Income sometimes is difficult to change in one year. Lenders will be looking at your last two years’ tax returns and recent pay stubs when you are ready to apply. They will also require that you have a two-year work history.
Some individuals decide to take a break for personal reasons without realizing that a gap in employment may prevent them from getting loan approval. Documenting your income is essential as well. If you are in a cash business, then you should begin depositing that money into an account on a regular basis so that you can qualify for a bank statement loan. These are just a few examples of what your lender will discuss with you.
Down Payment – This is extremely important, and it will partially determine your buying power. It is also connected to the various loan programs that you may or may not qualify for. You will need to have those down payment funds in your bank account three months before you submit a loan application.
If you have little to no down payment and do not think you can raise additional funds over the next nine months, then your lender will discuss low down payment and loan program options which will then help determine your realistic price range.
If you can get to a twenty percent down payment that is ideal. When you don’t have at least twenty percent to put down, you’ll often be required to pay private mortgage insurance.
PMI is a useless fee that only benefits the lender as protection in the event you default on your loan. Most people will try to stop paying private mortgage insurance as soon as they can.
Credit Score – Your credit score plays a significant role here. It will have an impact on your final mortgage rate, in some instances your down payment requirement, or whether you are qualified at all for a mortgage. Borrowers with the best credit scores generally will get the lowest mortgage interest rate. Therefore it makes sense to put a lot of work into improving your financial status.
The good news though is that it is not that hard to improve your credit scores in as little as 6 months or less. There are creative ways to do it yourself and even some reputable services out there who know how to get your scores raised for you.
Do your best to target a score of 680 or above. There are lenders that can find a bad credit mortgage for you with scores as low as 500 but then your down payment requirement and your rate will be much different.
Credit Events – A credit event is a bankruptcy, foreclosure and in some instances collections. If you have a bankruptcy or foreclosure, your lender needs to know up front so he or she can plan for this. It is preferable to have had these two years prior to applying for a loan.
Less than two years out of bankruptcy for example will prevent you from getting an FHA loan. Collections need to be dealt with. Pay outstanding collection amounts and work to have them removed from your credit report. That can be negotiated with the creditor as part of the payment agreement.
Large Payments on Your Credit Report – Too often potential home buyers fail to qualify because they have too many other minimum monthly payments showing up on their credit report. During the qualification process, lenders need to factor your future mortgage payment as well as the monthly obligations that appear on your credit report.
Together, and when divided into your gross monthly income they make your debt to income ratio (DTI). Each loan program has a maximum DTI allowed. The less that you have in OTHER monthly payments on your credit report, the larger the loan you will be able to qualify for.
In this example, you can see that with a gross monthly income of $6,500, this person would qualify for a $300k loan at current rates using a maximum DTI of 43%. At the bottom, you can see how much more buying power this person has when the other monthly payments are removed.
This example above should hopefully explain why it is important to keep your credit report free from other monthly obligations. If you think there is a chance that you may buy a home in the near future, then do not buy a new car. At least not without discussing the implications with your lender.
In the example above, the person could afford $88k more if there was no car payment when applying for the loan. The truth is that auto lending is much more lenient when it comes to qualifying. Once you are approved and close on your home loan, there is an excellent chance that you can then go and buy the car you want.
RESERVE FUNDS
The cash needed to buy a home is not just about the down payment and closing costs. Lenders will require a few months’ reserves (check with your lender). They want to be sure that if you have a job loss that you can at least make a few payments before you are out of money.
Realistically, you need to plan for a lot more than that. When you buy your home, do you think you may need some money to fix it up the way you want? Even with new construction, there are expenses.
Do you need to buy furniture? Do you own basic home needs like a lawn mower? This is also part of the planning process. Throwing everything you have into your initial purchase without anything left over makes you “house poor” and with one small setback can land you in a very difficult scenario where you could lose your home.
FINAL PERSPECTIVE
Once you have this plan developed with the assistance of a lender, then you can target price points and specific towns or neighborhoods. You will be able to spend time focusing on homes that are a true reality for you.
Developing a plan far in advance and sticking to it will also help make the home buying process much easier and will take the stress out of finding a mortgage. Your realtor will also be pleasantly surprised to know that you have taken the time to make sure you have the ability financially to purchase the home.
If you are thinking about looking for a home at some point in the future, contact a lender today to have a preliminary discussion.
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How To Know The Best Time To Sell
Ready to sell? Like comedy and business, timing is everything in real estate. If you’re able to take your time, it can be worth waiting for the best time to sell a house. But even if you have time constraints, you can likely still find the best time to sell within them.
Tips for Determining the Best Time to Sell a House
Pick the Right Month
Zillow research confirms what many people have long suspected: The best time to sell a house is in the spring—specifically, the first half of May. You are likely to sell your home 18.5 days faster and for around 1 percent more during this time. This is true for the 25 largest metros in the country.
In most parts of the country, springtime offers favorable weather conditions for house hunting. But why May? Homebuyers who started shopping in early spring and have not landed a deal by May start becoming anxious. Parents want to be settled into a home before the next school year. This increased sense of urgency can translate into more dollars for sellers.
Pick the Right Day
You’ve done all the preparations are and ready to list your house—but it’s Monday. Should you? Your real estate agent will probably want you to wait until first thing Thursday morning (we’re talking as close to 12:01 a.m. as possible). Why? Since many people house hunt on the weekends, they typically start looking online on Thursday or Friday to prepare. If you list on Monday, buyers will still see your home, but it will be farther down the page—if your listing is still on the first page at all. To optimize views (which could turhttp://www.trulia.com into more showings), consider listing later in the week.
Sell Smart During the Off-Season
If you can’t sell during peak selling time in spring, don’t worry. Not everyone is looking to buy in May. If your home is in a warm-weather state, the off-season could be an advantage, as snowbirds might be in town, and there are likely fewer homes on the market.
If your home is in a challenging climate, you can still sell successfully during fall or winter. Make the most of the season by staging your home so that it’s warm, cozy, and inviting for homebuyers. Outside, rake those leaves or shovel that snow. There may be fewer buyers looking, but there will also be fewer sellers listing, making your tidy home stand out.
Factor in Your Own Timing
Of course, not everyone can choose when they move. Sometimes the best time to sell a house is simply as soon as possible. If you have to move across the country to start a new job in November, any financial benefit you may have gotten by waiting until May to sell will likely be erased by having to pay housing expenses on two properties for half a year.
Of course, the best time to sell a house doesn’t always come down to money, either. If you find the perfect next home for you in August, it might be the right decision to sell and buy at the same time. If you know you’ll never find another place so close to work or your sibling’s house or the best park in town, your lifestyle priorities might win out.
Why This Summer Is The 2020 Real Estate Season
With stay-at-home orders starting to gradually lift throughout parts of the country, data indicates homebuyers are jumping back into the market. After many families put their plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, what we once called the busy spring real estate season is shifting into the summer. In 2020, summer is the new spring for real estate.
Joel Kan, Economist at The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) notes:
“Applications for home purchases continue to recover from April’s sizable drop and have now increased for five consecutive weeks…Government purchase applications, which include FHA, VA, and USDA loans, are now 5 percent higher than a year ago, which is an encouraging turnaround after the weakness seen over the past two months.”
Additionally, according to Google Trends, which scores search terms online, searches for real estate increased from 68 points the week of March 15th to 92 points last week. As we can see, more potential homebuyers are looking for homes virtually.
What’s the Opportunity for Buyers?
Another reason buyers are coming back to the market, even with forced unemployment and stay-at-home orders, is historically low mortgage rates. Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac indicates:
“For the fourth consecutive week, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been below 3.30 percent, giving potential buyers a good reason to continue shopping even amid the pandemic…As states reopen, we’re seeing purchase demand improve remarkably fast, now essentially flat relative to a year ago.”
With mortgage rates at such low levels and states gradually beginning to reopen, there’s more incentive than ever to buy a home this summer.
What’s the Opportunity for Sellers?
Finding a home to buy, however, is still a challenge, as this spring sellers removed many listings from the market. Though more people are now putting their houses up for sale this month as compared to last month, current inventory is still well below last year’s level.
According to last week’s Weekly Economic and Housing Market Update from realtor.com:
“Weekly Housing Inventory showed continued tightening. New Listings declined 28% compared with a year ago, as sellers grappled with uncertainty and hesitated bringing homes to market. Total Listings dropped 20% YoY, a faster rate than in prior weeks, leaving very few homes available for sale. As Time on Market was 15 days slower YoY, asking prices moved up 1.5% YoY.”
If you’re thinking of selling your house this summer, now may be your best opportunity. With so few homes on the market for buyers to purchase, this season may be the time for your house to stand out from the crowd. Trusted real estate professionals can help you list safely and effectively, keeping your family’s needs top of mind. Buyers are looking, and your house may be at the top of their list.
Bottom Line
If you’re thinking of selling, many buyers may be eager to find a home just like yours. Reach out to a local real estate professional today to make sure you can get your house in on the action this summer.
