Spring Home Buying Tips Austin. With the spring season now officially upon us, it’s now considered by many to be the most popular time to purchase a home, as well as perhaps the most competitive. Despite this, it can be amazing to discover just how many people end up getting involved with the entire process with a decreased amount of preparation.
Here are three of the most useful spring home buying tips to consider making note of.
*First and foremost, perhaps one of the most useful spring home buying tips is to always know what you are able to afford. This is more than just determining the amount of a mortgage payment that you can handle, it’s also important to take into account factors such as property taxes, mortgage insurance, and homeowners insurance. From there, you will also need to consider what sort of down payment you will be able to make, as well as monthly utility bills, a reserve for any and all unexpected repairs, and all ongoing home maintenance costs. According to many lenders, the ongoing rule of thumb is that they typically never want to see you spend more than 28% of your gross monthly income on your mortgage payment, as well as no more than 36% on all types of loans; however, these are generally flexible.
*Another of the most useful spring home buying tips is to take the time to check your credit. Even though you may be confident that your credit is excellent, any undiscovered error can end up taking your score down, as well as resulting in your mortgage interest rate increasing. Additionally, your credit score can also affect what kind of mortgage rate you will be able to obtain, as well as the actual cost of the loan. It’s important to keep in mind that you are always entitled to a free copy of your credit report once per year from each of the three major credit reporting companies, and once you obtain them, take the time to check for any and all errors. If you come across any, be sure to follow all of the instructions for correcting any of them.
*Spring Home Buying Tips Austin. One other useful spring home buying tip is to research the market itself. In other words, browse all of the real estate market listings in order to see exactly what types of homes are available in your specific price range, as well as in which locations. Additionally, take the time to drive past some of them in order to get a better sense of both the neighborhood and home. You can also go to some open houses in order to get a sense of the market itself, as well as a better feeling for prices.
