Tips for Buying a House

Sophia Belnap

Buying a house can bring a big sense of accomplishment. You will have a piece of property that is all yours and you can do with it what you want. If you do not like the floors you can change them. Same thing with your wall color or bathroom design. Ownership brings you more options all while hopefully making money in appreciation. If you are looking into buying a house, read this article for six things you should consider first. 

Buying Versus Building

One of the hardest parts about buying a house can be finding a home that fits all of your needs. You may have a long list of needs and wants, like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms you need. It is also likely that you want to be in a certain neighborhood in proximity to your workplace or school.

If you just cannot seem to find the home you need, you may be wondering how much does it cost to build a house? Building your own home from the ground up has many benefits. You get to choose colors, floorplans, kitchen and bathroom cabinet styles, and more. Just remember that building your own home may mean that you will need to live in the suburbs and be willing to wait at least six months. 

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Down Payment

You may be thinking that homeownership may not be possible for you because you do not have a huge chunk of money saved up. Although you will need a down payment, it may not be as much money as you think. The amount of money that you need to save will depend on several factors. 

Job Security

When deciding on how much home you can afford you should also think about how secure your income is. Do you work in an industry with a high chance of being let go at any moment? Or are you a public servant that will never have trouble finding a job? These are things to consider before taking on a huge commitment like homeownership. Hopefully, this would never be an issue, but a 30-year mortgage will not go away simply because you become unemployed. 

Current Market

Once you have made the decision to purchase a home, it is important that you start reading about the current market conditions in your desired living area. Depending on what is happening locally and globally, mortgage interest rates could be up or down from the average expectancy. 

You have to do your research because you may learn that there are not many homes in your price range in the location you desire. In some markets it is easier to own than in others, it is better to know than not to know. If you want to make money on your home, you also want to choose a housing market that is growing. 

Debt-to-Income Ratio

In order for you to get pre-approved for a mortgage and get approved for a good interest rate, it is important for you to be realistic about your debt and your affordability. If you have an extreme amount of debt or if you are already living tightly paycheck to paycheck, you may need to pay off a few things before purchasing a home. 

The Federal Housing Administration says that a desirable debt to income ratio is at 43%. This means that all of your housing-related expenses each month do not exceed the total of your monthly income. 

Length of Stay

When you start looking at homes you want to think about how long you plan to live there. These are factors that will affect what you are looking for. You may not want to retire in a home with a huge set of stairs. You also may not need a backyard if you do not have children or pets. Take into consideration how long you will live in this home when you make your wish list.