Sacramento's #1 Real Estate and Agent Resource

Our complimentary 1st time buyer seminars are held every 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel Sacramento. Come join us and learn how to become a homeowner. Registration is required. Register Here

***New $8000.00 1st time buyer Fed Tax credit!***

10 Steps every first time buyer must take:

1. Know You're Ready

You must be ready to buy a home physically, financially and emotionally. Your own home is a great freedom, but also a great responsibility.If you have a steady income for over two years that is reliable, have paid your bills on time and have a good record, have few large, long term debts such as a car or boat, have a credit score that qualifies you for a decent loan that will not make you pay too much in interest, have money saved up for a down payment, and have the ability to pay a monthly mortgage payment plus additional costs that come along with owning your own home.

These costs may include gardening, maintenance, homeowners fees, trash, water, and other bills associated with day to day living in a home. If you have been able to cover all these issues and realize the responsibility that comes with owning a home, then you are ready to buy!

2. Decide How Much You Can Afford

Deciding how much you can afford can be tricky, especially since you must consider interest and the costs associated with a mortgage. Your monthly payment will depend on the type of mortgage and the interest rate. Of course, the better your credit, the better loan you will be able to get.

A loan consultant can help you determine how much you can really afford a month according to your current income, total expenses, the amount of money you can put down, and of course the loan terms you can qualify for. Although it is better to get a good mortgage with a lower interest rate, there are options for every home buyer. We can refer you to the areas top lenders upon request. There are also many tools within our website that can assist you in finding how much you can afford. For example, a mortgage calculator and figure monthly payments, interest, and principal payments quickly.

3. Locate Your Community

When buying a home, it is important to live in a community that fits your every day to day lifestyle. For example, if you enjoy peace, quiet and small local stores and friendly relationships, a rural city would be best for you. However, if you enjoy the hustle and bustle of walking, driving and meeting new and different people on a daily basis, the big city might be right for you. Many people know exactly where they want to live so go with your instinct and find things in the community that you feel are important, such as good schools, great restaurants, libraries, fishing, terrain to ride horses, surfing, and so much more. Talk to people who live in the community you are considering and see what they like and dislike about the area they live in. Above all, you should feel comfortable and happy where you live which may seem obvious, but this step is one of the most important when buying a home and some people don't pay enough attention to it.

4. Scan the Environment for Homes

You have to start somewhere when you begin your house search. We recommend that you contact a real estate agent once you've had a chance to check out local listings on the MLS, in the newspaper, take a drive in different neighborhoods if close enough, and get a feel for the different areas to live within the community. Check out the style of the homes, what condition they are in, what houses are selling, and surrounding shopping centers, stores, and services. It is important to see asking prices of the homes you are considering to make sure they are within your budget. There is no sense in looking in areas you know you can't afford. Instead, focus on finding beautiful properties in the areas you can afford. No time will be wasted and you will have a good idea as to what type of home you want and in the area that is best for you.

5. Get a Real Estate Agent

After you have done your own preliminary work, and feel you could use the help of an agent, go for it. We can assist you further by giving you inside real estate and community information that can only strengthen or deter your decision to buy a home in that specific area. We can also intensify your search by showing properties they know of or may be coming on the market soon and keep an eye out for properties we know will meet your already decided qualifications. The more specific you can be when going to an agent, the better help we can be to you. If you are going to buy a home, get exactly what you are looking for, or know you can easily change it by some upgrades or individual style. Don't settle if you know what you want is out there.

 

6. Look at Homes

This can either be great fun, or grueling work! It depends on your specifications and well, how picky you are! Have fun looking at properties, but be sure to always be inspecting the foundation, the condition of both the interior and exterior. You need to play detective to make sure the home is in good condition and there are no major problems with it. The agent and seller must disclose all information to you about the property including both the positive and negative aspects about the home. This includes any plumbing problems, water damage, termites, soil problems, mold, and so on. So while you are enjoying the homes, be sure you ask about these things that may need repair or even replacement. You need to also be looking as such things as the floor plan, space that is adequate for both the present and the future, the number of bathrooms and bedrooms, if there is an office or bonus room, the size and quality of the kitchen, and if the home will be pleasant all year around, if there is snow, rain or sunshine. Is there a yard that is big enough, a dog run, pool, spa, or patio that will be great for a Saturday afternoon lounge or BBQ. Make sure your basic qualifications are covered, and then look for the bonuses! Almost every home has them.

7. Choose a Home

So you found the home that meets all your needs, in the community that best fits your lifestyle, at a price you feel is negotiable. The next step is to negotiate a deal. Now, I am not going to get into negotiation, because the price paid for a house depends on many factors such as market value, appraisals, upgrades, local comparable properties, and personal assessment. However, your agent can help you determine an offer that will make both you and the seller happy. Always remember the offer is negotiable, so we negotiate on your behalf!

8. Get a Mortgage

You should have already tested the water with this when determining if you were ready to buy a home. Remember? You should already have a good idea as to the loan you could both get and afford. Once again either your financial advisor or broker can help with this. Now that you have chosen the home, know the purchase price, and have a certain amount of money to put down, you can actually get the loan and purchase your house! There are many places to find home loans, including banks, lending institutions, both private and public, and mortgage companies themselves. This can take some searching and effort to find the best deal, so you may want to have your agent and broker help you with this. That is what they are there for use them! There are so many options you will no doubt find a situation that is right for you individual circumstance. This is also the time to purchase home owner's insurance. This will be required at the signing of the papers. Do not forget this, because you must have documentation at signing that you have paid your home insurance premium.

9. Offer and Loan Accepted- Sign the Papers

On closing day you will present your home owner's insurance policy and the closing agent will list the money you owe the seller which my include the down payment and prepaid taxes. The seller will then present you with proofs of inspection, warranties, and any other documentation that is pertinent to the sale of the home. After carefully reviewing all the documentation, and checking all disclosure agreements very carefully, you can sign the papers and mortgage, promising to pay your monthly mortgage based on the terms you and the lender agreed upon. You will most likely pay all closing cots and be provided with a record of where all your money went as well as the deed to the property. The deed will be recorded in the State Registry of Deeds, and you are officially a home owner! Make sure you are clear on all terms, conditions and have read all parts of the sales agreement. Don't rely solely on your agent, because ultimately, you are responsible for the agreement. If you need assistance, you can always hire a lawyer to review the contract, especially if there are special terms.

10. Move In!

After everything has closed and cleared, you can move into your new home! You have successfully bought your first home and will enjoy all the benefits of your very own, private home. I hope you use these 10 tips as a good guideline for purchasing your first home. Always be ready for unexpected events, as things do not always go as we plan. Also, if you need assistance in any area of buying your home, know that there are many resources available to you including financial advisors, agents, online tools and books. Don't do anything you do not understand or are not sure about. Good luck and have fun!

 

 

 

Here are 10 compelling reasons why anybody who can afford it should consider buying a home:

 

1) House prices tend to rise over time, so a house is one of the best investments you can make.

Home prices in the U.S. have risen three percent to six percent a year for the past 20 years. That trend is likely to continue. So if you buy a home now, you’ve put your capital in a safe investment where it is likely to grow.

2) You’ll pay less tax.

You can deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage from your taxable income. The value of this tax break depends on factors like your personal tax bracket, the size of your mortgage, the rate of interest you pay on it and how long you’ve held the mortgage. As a rule, the newer the mortgage, the greater the amount of interest you pay each month and the bigger the tax break. Therefore, recent buyers with young mortgages tend to get the greatest benefit.

3) You’ll be buying a piece of real property rather than putting money in a landlord’s pocket each month.

The real cost of renting is higher than the monthly payment. There is also an opportunity cost equal to the amount you would gain by using the money to purchase a home instead. Even if the house you purchased did not appreciate in price, you would be able to sell it and recoup some of the money you put into it.

4) Interest rates are still historically low.

This makes it relatively inexpensive to take out a mortgage. The lower the interest rate, the less you actually pay for your house and the sooner you can pay the mortgage off. Our loan calculator can show you how different interest rates affect the total cost of your mortgage and the time it takes to retire it.

5) You’ll be able to use the equity in your home for low-cost loans for other purposes.

You can access the paid-up equity you accumulate in your home in the form of a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit. Because they are secured, home equity loans and lines of credit generally carry a lower interest rate than other types of consumer loans, such as auto loans. The interest on them is generally tax-deductible, as well.

6) You’ll have the stability and emotional security of owning your own home.

No more worrying about dictatorial or negligent landlords, rent increases or the possibility your building will be sold and redeveloped or turned into a condo. You’ll be able to live in your house as long as you like, fix your monthly payments for as long as 30 years and you’ll be in charge.

7) You’ll be able to redecorate and renovate any way you like, any time you like.

 

Rules about the paint colors you can use will be a thing of the past. And you’ll be able to tear out walls, install a powder room and make any other improvements you want. Best of all, if you decide to sell, you’ll recoup at least part of the cost of the improvements.

8) You can have a garden.

 

This is one of the big pluses of ownership – a little piece of land you can call your own, where you can grow tomatoes or roses, barbecue, and play with your kids and pets.

9) You’ll be able to put down roots in a community.

When you’re a homeowner, you’ll get to know your neighbors, participate in street sales, meet potential babysitters and play Saturday-morning touch football in the park. Renters tend to live more insular lives.

10) You’ll have a greater voice in community affairs.

Local homeowners generally have more clout – individually and through ratepayer’s associations – when it comes to development proposals, school issues, changes to traffic control and routing and the like. Because renters tend to be more transient than homeowners, they have less influence on policymakers