BUYERS
Spring hasn’t begun to crack through the winter thaw, but that doesn’t mean there’s time to wait if you’re planning on purchasing a home this spring. Be prepared for the Spring Market, and ensure your home buying experience is a great one by organizing your paper work, mortgages, ideal houses, and pricing ahead of time. Spring into this home-buying season ready to buy, so that house you’ve been dreaming of, doesn’t land in the hands of another buyer.
Credit Check
A credit score is a numerical representation of your credit report, and having good credit is like gold when obtaining a mortgage. Spend some time understanding where your credit falls, as credit scores range from 300-850, and the higher the score you have, the better. If there are any issues with your credit score, now is the time to work at repairing them (paying bills on time, getting a raise in your credit limit etc.) It’s not recommended to begin opening new credit cards, as opening new credit may hurt your score in applying for a mortgage, or lower your opportunity of getting the best rate on a loan.
Mortgages & Interest Rates
A key to a good mortgage, is a lower interest rate. However, not everyone gets the same interest rate on a mortgage, as it is dependent on your credit, and your mortgage lender. Talk to a mortgage lender to learn if you can afford to buy a home at this point, what the price range you can afford is, and what interest rates are currently being offered. Make an appointment with your bank provider, or with a mortgage associate to get a full understanding of how mortgages work, and what you should expect. Once you’ve had these meetings, and your finances have been reviewed, you can be “pre-approved” for a mortgage and confidently show sellers that you can buy their home. To prepare to get pre-approved, gather together your financial documents (listed below) in advance of the actual home-purchase.
- Last 2 years of tax returns
- T4 forms for the past 2 years
- Paycheck stubs from the past 6 months
- Proof of rent and/or mortgage payments for the past year
- A list of all debts, student loans, credit cards, automobile loans etc.
- A list of all assets (bank statements, automobile titles, investments etc.)
Contact A Realtor:
Realtors are professionals when it comes to the processes of both buying, and selling homes. Your choice of realtor can make the difference between finding the house you like, and finding the house you LOVE. Realtors have a wealth of knowledge, and experience, so while you are in search, take the recommendations that come from friends and family into consideration, and interview those that have the right experience for you. You want to look for an agent who is knowledgeable, motivated, and can assist you with your goal of homeownership. Finding a good realtor is a vital to your end goal of purchasing a home.