How Do You Know You’re Ready to Buy a Home?
Being a homeowner is part of the American Dream! But how do you know when you’re ready to buy your first house? There are a lot of different reasons you would want to become a homeowner, but first let’s find out what you should be doing in order to be ready to buy your first home:
- The first criteria is to have a steady job. It can be difficult to get preapproved for a mortgage if you have been with your employer for less than two years. So make sure you have a steady job and income. Bonus tip, do not change employers while you are in the middle of the homebuying process! Make sure you’re employed somewhere you are going to stay. Another criteria you want to keep in mind is how long you plan on living in your new home. Do you plan on staying in the area for more than a couple of years? It may not be worth it in the short term to buy a home if you don’t plan on living in it for more than a few years. Look into your cost options and see what will work best for your situation.
- Secondly, buying a home is expensive, so make sure you have plenty of savings built up! You will have to have money not only for the down payment, but for earnest money, closing costs, and more! Don’t forget about the cost of any appliances you want to purchase for your new home, or even furniture. Even after you have purchased your home, there are other costs. When you own your home, you pay for your own repairs! So make sure you have plenty of savings to fall back on. Tying into savings, it’s a good idea to make sure most of your debt is paid off before you buy a house. Like we stated before, homeownership can be expensive. So make sure you are financially ready. In addition, there are also advantages to having little debt when you’re buying your first home. When you have little to no debt, you are more likely to get a better interest rate on your mortgage! This means that you’ll have more to spend on other things from your paycheck.
- Thirdly, tying back into savings and debt, make sure you can cover all of the costs of owning a home. This is past the initial stage of buying your home. This includes property taxes, homeowners insurance, any HOA fees if applicable, city taxes and fees, garbage, water, sewage, and any other home costs.
More Common Questions about Buying A Home
As you probably already know there is a lot to the homebuying process. If you have more questions about buying or building a house, don’t worry! We have a list of common questions that homebuyers have HERE.
If you don’t see your question on this list, then please reach out! I would love to answer all of your buying questions.
Want more information? Download my Homebuyers Guide: Homebuyers Guide
If you’re a first time home buyer, download this Buyers Guide: First Time Homebuyers Guide
Are you Ready to Buy a Home?
So, are you ready to buy a home? If you have a steady job, a good cushion of savings, little debt, and can afford everything a house comes with, then you may be ready! Your next steps will be finding a real estate agent to help you find a home and then getting preapproved so you know what you can afford before you start searching for homes.
If you’re looking for someone to help you buy your first home, let me be your guide! I love helping first time homebuyers. I will be by your side throughout the homebuying process offering expert guidance and knowledge you can count on. Contact me today so we can get started!
Ready to Buy a Home in Birmingham, AL?
Buying a house is more than just finding a home that you love. If you need help navigating through the homebuying process, then let me help you! Do you want to learn more about buying a house in the Bham area? Contact me and let me help you buy a home in the Birmingham, Alabama area.
If you’re new to the Birmingham area and have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dianna Howell with The Howell Group: 205-568-5435 or dianna.howell@kw.com for information on Pelham, Alabama real estate by Dianna Howell, top buyers agent in the Birmingham, Alabama area. Visit our website for more information on the Birmingham area: https://diannahowellrealtor.com/category/lifestyle/
🔑🏡 Want to learn more about the buying process? Then read this article for 6️⃣ easy tips: https://diannahowellrealtor.com/buying/6-steps-to-buying-a-home-in-alabama/
📕 Read more about the Birmingham area in this post: https://diannahowellrealtor.com/buying/relocating-to-birmingham-al/
I have plenty of resources and information to provide including my expert help. Call me today and let’s get started on the search for your new home.
Sincerely,
Dianna Howell
The Howell Group of Keller Williams in the Birmingham Alabama area
Top Birmingham Real Estate Agent
