|
The first and most
important step in buying a home is to GET
PRE-QUALIFIED! Unless you in the enviable position
to be able to pay cash for a home, you'll want to find a
lender, go through the pre-qualification process and know
exactly how much loan you can qualify for.
Being qualified when you
find the home of your dreams will often help you when
negotiating the price, giving you more clout since they
seller will know they won't have to worry about a denied
loan at the last minute. It will also help speed the
closing process.
Pre-qualifying will also
help you know just how much home you can purchase, keeping
you from falling in love with a home only to discover that
you can't qualify for the loan.
The Department of
Housing and Urban Development has a great article on this,
as well as charts giving you Debt to Ration income needed
and A Great Mortgage Calculation Chart. CLICK
HERE to check out this article and their charts!
If you are a dog lover
and you can't find a fenced yard, hunt for a home with a
side door in the garage. This way you can put in a
doggy door and fence a portion of your side yard giving
your doggy a place to safely be put "out".
If it's rainy or muddy,
the fact that they will be coming through the garage,
gives you ample time to catch them up and wipe their feet
before they come into the house! This tip has saved
our carpets from much unneeded dirt drug in by dirty
doggy feet!
It's also a great way to
come into the house after working in the yard. This
way the garage becomes the "mud" room of old,
where dirty and/or damp clothing can be stripped off
first!
|
