Are You Ready To Make An Offer To Buy A Home?
October 29, 2024
How to get started? In the early stages, establishing your budget and how much work you need to do on your credit is key. But once you have gotten past the initial phase of that planning you’ll want to consider the house itself and what you want from it.
You can get started by writing down your dream home’s must-have features. What size house do you want? How many bedrooms?
Do you need to be near schools, childcare, or major interstates? Separate your non-negotiables from what you feel more comfortable negotiating or haggling over.
Research the market you want to buy in. Consider analyzing recent residential real estate sales of similar properties in the area to determine a reasonable value for the home you're interested in. Online resources like Zillow and Realtor.com can be helpful.
Key Factors Before You Make An Offer To Buy With An FHA Mortgage
Ask yourself the following questions before you approach a home seller.
Is the home I want within my price range, and how much more or less is the sale price than the pre-approval amount?
What’s the first impression of the condition of the property? Does it look like it needs work, or is it pristine and in excellent condition?
If you haven’t decided on a specific property type, do the homes you have seen to date lack something important? For many borrowers, issues that seem minor early on become major headaches later, depending on the problems.
Your First Offer
It’s easy at first to consider your offer to the seller as your “best offer,” but real estate negotiations aren’t always that simple. Consider your initial offer as an opening statement.
That may lead to negotiation with the seller, but doing so is worth the hassle. According to many sources, “Flexibility is key.” Buyers go into the process willing to compromise on some parts of the home-buying process to make the sale more attractive to the seller.
Know your limits and be prepared to walk away if the deal starts to become unreasonable. That said, know WHEN and HOW you are legally permitted to walk away before you make any offer.
FHA Loan Articles
January 20, 2025The FHA Streamline Refinance offers a refinance option for those who don't want to cash in on their property's equity but instead want a lower payment or interest rate or who need to get out of an adjustable-rate mortgage. This streamlined program, designed specifically for those already in an FHA-insured mortgage, simplifies the refinancing process with fewer requirements and faster approval times depending on the transaction.
January 16, 2025Want to buy a home and thinking about getting an FHA loan? FHA loans are a great way to make homeownership happen, especially if you're a first-time buyer or don't have perfect credit. But you might wonder, "Can I get more than one FHA loan?"
The short answer is, it's tricky. The FHA itself doesn't say no automatically to having more than one loan. But there's a caveat. FHA loans are about helping you buy a place to live in – your main home base. Because of this, and a few other things, getting multiple FHA loans isn't easy.
January 15, 2025Buying a condo with an FHA loan is an option some don’t consider initially, but it’s worth adding to your list of potential property types. FHA loans for condo units traditionally require condo projects to be on or added to the FHA-approved list. Still, changes in policy over the years allow borrowers to apply for FHA loans on condo units in projects not on the list on a case-by-case basis.
December 30, 2024When applying for an FHA loan, lenders will consider more than just your credit scores and history. They also look at other factors affecting your risk profile and the interest rate they offer you.
One factor is occupancy type. For FHA loans, this is straightforward because these loans require owner occupancy. Investment properties aren't eligible. While conventional loans may have different rates for primary residences, second homes, and investment properties, this isn't a concern with FHA loans.
December 18, 2024Did holiday spending get the better of you? Are you looking for ways to recover your spending plan as you search for a new home?
The holidays are a whirlwind of festivities, family gatherings, and gift-giving. But amidst the cheer, it's easy to lose track of spending. If you're aiming to buy a home in the near future, those extra expenses can have a bigger impact than you might realize, especially if you're considering an FHA loan.
