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How Much House Can You Afford ?

Knowing how much you can afford to pay is a crucial step in your search. Nailing down your budget early will make the overall process more focused and less stressful.

Here’s a good way to figure out how much you can afford:

The 28/36 Rule

The 28/36 rule is an established benchmark used by many lenders to determine how much credit to offer you. Here’s how it works:

 

Get preapproved for a mortgage. Your lender can approve you for a certain to loan amount prior to your home search. This gives you a solid number against which you can assess the affordability of the houses you visit.

 

The “28” refers to the notion that no more than 28 percent of your gross monthly household income should go toward housing costs, which include mortgage principal, interest, taxes and insurance.

To calculate, simply multiply your gross monthly income (amount before taxes) by .28. Use this amount as a guide for how much house you can afford.

Example: You earn an annual salary of $70,000. Divide 70,000 by 12, giving you a monthly gross income of $5,833. Multiply that by .28, and you’ll find you should spend no more than $1,633 each month on total housing costs.

The “36” part of the 28/36 rule refers to your overall debt, which shouldn’t exceed 36 percent of your income. This is important to consider because other high monthly debt loads – such as car and credit card payments – impact the amount you can afford to spend on housing.

For first-time home buyers, the tricky part is knowing how much to budget for taxes and insurance. An experienced real estate professional can assist you with this.

 

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Anatomy of a Home Purchase

For most people, finding the right home begins with a house-hunting strategy combining personal preferences, guidance from others (including an agent) and a mix of neighborhood exploring and online search.

For some, the search takes a while; others find what they want right away. In either case, your real estate agent can be a huge resource of insight and guidance, working through issues or complications that arise along the way.

Here’s a general outline of what to expect during a home purchase, from the buyer’s perspective.

Buyers make a purchase offer.
This is it! You’ve found the home of your dreams, looked over disclosure documents, reviewed comparable sales data, talked it over with your agent and submitted an offer. The sellers may accept your first offer, but more often will return a counteroffer. In fact, additional negotiations are common, and your agent will help you through this generally stressful stage.

 

The sellers accept.
Once everyone is happy with the terms, the parties have reached what is known as mutual acceptance and enter into a purchase and sale agreement.

Buyers put up earnest money.
To solidify your intent to buy, you’ll place a deposit, or earnest money, on the property. The amount varies, but is generally at least 1 percent of the purchase price. You’ll write the check to the escrow company, not the seller. Note: This money counts toward your down payment later.

Escrow opens.
The earnest money deposit goes into an escrow account, where all funds will be held until closing, when they are then distributed to the right people (lender, mortgage broker, title insurer, real estate agents, etc.).

Buyers apply for a mortgage.
This step is streamlined if you’ve already been preapproved for a loan (which is a smart thing to do). If not, you’ll begin the loan application process now.

The lender inspects title history and orders a property appraisal.
The lender needs key information about the property before granting a loan. This is when potential problems can come to light. For example, the appraisal could show a lower value than the purchase price, or the lender could have trouble finding comparable homes. Also, the title search could turn up liens or other problems.

A home inspection takes place.
You’ll hire an inspector – generally, your agent will suggest one, or provide several options – to check the home and point out minor and major problems that should be fixed before closing. At this point, you still have the option of backing out of the deal. Through your agent, you’ll submit a list of requested work, and the sellers have the option to complete the tasks, do some of them but not others, or reject the request. The sides will negotiate until reaching an agreement.

Removing contingencies.
If the house passes inspection, appraisal and title search, and everything is good to go, then all contingencies can be removed, paving the way to a closing.

Closing time arrives.
Once contingencies are removed and financing is set, all parties sign a seemingly endless stack of documents, and the transaction closes.

Packing begins!
When the final signatures are in place, it’s time to put down the pens, shake hands, exchange smiles and start packing for the move!

 

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DECIDING WHERE TO LIVE

DECIDING WHERE TO LIVE

Talk to at least one neighbor before you make an offer. Ask what they like best and least about living there.

In many cases, it’s better to buy the smallest house on the most desirable block than the biggest house on the least desirable one. Buy location over house.

 

If you’re unfamiliar with the area where you’re moving, your buyer’s agent is an invaluable resource. He or she can offer insider knowledge on neighborhoods, schools, access to recreation and shopping districts, and the many other details on local neighborhoods and subdivisions.

It’s important to have a clear picture on the features that matter most to you in a home or location. Creating a list of “must haves” and flexible “nice-to-haves” from the start will make things a lot easier for you.
Factors to consider:


1. Size of home – square footage, number of bathrooms, rooms, etc.
2. Home features – updated fixtures/appliances, property size, garage, storage, etc.
3. Location – proximity to schools, open space, entertainment, work, etc.
4. Neighborhood – older or newer homes? Families, retirees or singles?
5. Room to grow – planning to have more children?
6. Condition – move-in ready or a less expensive home in need of improvements?

Your buyer’s agent can offer advice on the countless items you should consider according to your lifestyle, budget and particulars.

 

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THE IMPORTANCE OF A BUYER’S AGENT

A real estate transaction is a complex process involving stacks of paperwork and a number of outside service providers and contractors.

An experienced buyer’s agent can guide you through the process, answering your questions and serving as your advocate . Your agent will help you find the property that fits your needs, submit offers and counteroffers, suggest a good property inspector and other professionals, and provide all sorts of relevant advice.

With a buyer’s agent, you’ll have someone on your side, looking out for your interests every step of the way.

 

When seeking out a buyer’s agent, look for factors such as productivity, education and experience.

 

Look for an agent who understands your lifestyle. Make sure the agent knows the neighborhoods you’re interested in, and can answer questions you’ll have about the location.

 

What are the costs involved in hiring a buyer’s agent?

 

As a buyer, you don’t pay your agent directly. Instead, the agent receives an agreed-upon portion of the listing agent’s sales commission (usually about half), which is paid by the seller.

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Dream House Concept

The Benefits of Home Ownership

Plain and simple, owning a home can improve your quality of life, provide stability and give you a sense of control you just can’t get from renting. You have a place to live when you rent, but buying is something much deeper – and better.

The intangibles are tough to measure, but there are other benefits you can quantify:

Financial investment:
Your monthly mortgage payment creates equity for you, not your landlord.

The interest on your mortgage is a tax deduction:
While this isn’t a reason in itself to buy a home, it’s nice to get a break at tax time.

Fixed monthly housing payment:
If you opt for a fixed-rate mortgage, the monthly rate of your mortgage won’t change for the length of the term.

 

Look for a house you can stay in long-term; one that will “grow” with your family and needs. The financial benefits of owning increase over time.

Look for an agent who understands your lifestyle. Make sure the agent knows the neighborhoods you’re interested in, and can answer questions you’ll have about the location.

 

Tax-free gain:
When it’s time to sell your home, you don’t pay taxes on the proceeds of the sale that are above what you paid (with some restrictions – see information on capital gains).

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Title and escrow

Title and escrow

Although it’s not the most talked-about aspect of buying a home, escrow is nonetheless a vital component of a successful transaction.

Your agent can answer your questions on escrow and help you through the process. Here’s a brief overview on what escrow is, and how it works into the overall scheme of things.

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Short sales

Short sales

With the number of short sales steadily increasing in many housing markets over the past few years, chances are high that you’ll encounter this type of sale in your home search. Short sales are now common in many markets.

Or, you may be one of the many homeowners considering the short sale option for your home.

While at one time short sales were viewed as too complex and burdensome to deal with from a buyer’s perspective, this isn’t necessarily the case today.

With the help of an educated and experienced real estate agent, a short sale is not only manageable, but can result in a great deal on the home of your dreams. And for a seller who’s facing foreclosure, a short sale can be the best outcome in a bad situation.

This material here covers the basics. But if you’re going down this route as a buyer or seller, it’s absolutely critical to work with an agent who understands short sales.

  • WHAT IS A SHORT SALE ?
  • WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN BUYING ?
  • WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN SHORT SELLING ?
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Home inspection

Home inspection advice

Your home purchase is one of the biggest investments of your life, and it’s important to know exactly what you’re buying. The best way to ensure this is through a professional, thorough home inspection.

(NOTE: While this material speaks primarily to buyers, it’s also a good idea for sellers to do an inspection prior to listing their home.See more in Tips on Selling a House.

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foreclosure

Foreclosure

The most common type of foreclosure property you’ll encounter in your home search is a Real Estate Owned, or REO, property. REOs are properties that have been foreclosed and are now owned by the bank.

REOs may be vacant or in need of repair. But often they look and feel just like other homes for sale, and they’re listed by a real estate agent. Although they’re typically sold as-is, it’s not uncommon for an REO to be in move-in condition. But the process of buying an REO is different than other home purchases.

With the help of a qualified real estate agent who knows the terrain of the REO market, your REO transaction will run more smoothly , and you’ll likely get a great deal in the process.

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