5 Questions to Ask Before Looking at Homes

Hoboken Real Estate Podcast with Brett Sikora

The first step in buying a home isn’t looking online for properties. It’s answering these five questions about your financial situation.

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If you’re thinking about buying a home, here are five questions that you should ask yourself before you even start the first step of the process:
1. Do you have a steady source of income? If you’ve been employed on a regular basis with a steady level of income, that’s a good start.
2. Do you have a good record of paying bills? This will affect your credit and will also tell a lender whether you’re responsible enough to handle a mortgage payment.
3. Do you have enough money for a down payment? You only need 3.5% with an FHA loan, but a majority of people put down 20% to avoid paying private mortgage insurance.

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A steady source of income is essential.

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4. Do you have any outstanding debts? Any kind of monthly payment you have could affect your debt-to-income ratio.
5. Can you pay the mortgage each month with additional costs? When you pay rent, that’s typically all the money you have to worry about (save utilities and cable). When you own a home, there are a lot of extra costs that come up. Whether you have to replace an appliance or fix a hole in the wall, you’ll need to have enough money to do that.
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, it might be time to give us a call and get a buyer consultation set up. Then we can get you pre-approved with our preferred lender and begin your search.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.