3 Traps First-Time Homebuyers Fall Into — And How To Avoid Them

3 Traps First-Time Homebuyers Fall Into -- And How To Avoid ThemWhen someone purchases their first home, this is a significant step. There are a number of issues that people need to think about because purchasing a home is typically someone’s most significant investment.

With this in mind, there are three common traps that first-time homebuyers often fall into. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these traps as well.

Looking At Homes Before Applying For A Mortgage

Perhaps the biggest mistake that people make is that they look for homes before they apply for a mortgage. Without a successful mortgage application, it will be difficult to find a home at all. Of course, people enjoy looking at homes because it puts their future into perspective. At the same time, it is important to have an idea of how much home someone can afford. This will be difficult to do without knowing how large of a mortgage someone will be approved for. Apply for a mortgage before looking at homes.

Draining The Savings Account

Most people will want to put down some sort of a down payment. After all, this can help one get a lower interest rate on their mortgage. At the same time, don’t think about the down payment as simply a number in the savings account. Calculate how much of a down payment is truly necessary. People shouldn’t have to drain their entire savings account for the down payment. This money might be needed for closing costs, home repairs, and other potential emergencies. 

Not Working With Trusted Professionals

The internet has provided people with instant access to vast amounts of information. This has the benefit of allowing the new home buyer to educate themselves and do research on homes to purchase, mortgage financing options and a lot of other home buying topics. However, the internet can also provide incorrect information or only partial information. 

That’s why it’s so important to work with trusted real estate and mortgage professionals who have your best interest in mind. Feel free to ask them a lot of questions and get specific answers about your personal financial situation and home purchasing needs. They are trained and have years of experience making sure that you get the best combination of things to serve your needs.

Purchasing A Home

These are a few of the most important issues that every first-time homebuyer should think about. It can make a significant difference in someone’s financial future. Pay attention to these and reach out to your local network of trusted professionals today!

How Much Do I Need To Start Investing In Real Estate?

How Much Do I Need To Start Investing In Real EstateIt is important for everyone to diversify their investments and one of the assets that people often look toward is real estate. In a healthy market, real estate should appreciate in value.

It is often less risky than investing in individual stocks and can provide a much higher return on investment than a typical bank savings account or even a money market account. On the other hand, people often think that they require a large amount of money to even think about investing in real estate. This is not always the case.

Buying Property Outright

One of the most straightforward ways to get started in the real estate investing market is to buy property outright in an area that is set to appreciate in value. Then, people can rent the property out to tenants as a way to generate a steady stream of income. This is why many people think that they need a large amount of money. Buying property is expensive and purchasing buildings in cash can be prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, there are other ways.

Joining A Real Estate Partnership

Another option is to join a real estate partnership. In a partnership structure, the various members pool their money together to buy large buildings. These buildings might even include individual apartments that can be rented out. Joining a real estate partnership is a more feasible option to get started in the real estate investing market. People might even be able to join for as little as a few thousand dollars.

Buying Shares

Finally, there are real estate crowdfunding partnerships popping up as well. Joining a real estate crowdfunding group is similar to buying shares of a company in the stock market. This offers an opportunity for people to get involved in the real estate market for an even lower cost. This is becoming a more popular option across the United States.

Invest In Real Estate

In the end, people do not necessarily require a large amount of money to invest in real estate if they know where to look and who to ask. There are plenty of ways to get started in the real estate investing market. People only need to know where to turn.

Be sure to consult with your trusted mortgage professional to discuss current financing options.

5 Essential Tips For Painting A House

5 Essential Tips for Painting a HouseWhen someone makes the decision to purchase a home, they often want to add their own personal touch, style, and flair to the home. One of the ways to do this is to paint the home. Of course, painting a home is a significant investment in terms of both time and money. It is important for everyone to keep a few tips in mind to make sure this process goes smoothly.

Pressure Wash The Walls Ahead Of Time

The first step is to make sure the walls are pressure washed first. Anything that is present on the walls when the paint goes down will be trapped there permanently. Remove any dust and debris by taking the time to pressure wash the walls first.

Prime The Painting Areas

The paint needs to adhere to the walls properly in order to achieve the desired effect. In order to make this happen, prime the painting areas first. This coat of primer is essential for making sure the painting job is completed properly.

Protect The Areas That Aren’t Painted

Homeowners also need to take the proper precautions to make sure the paint stays in the desired area. This means using painter’s tape or similar precautions to protect the areas of the home that aren’t going to be painted. Make sure the paint is contained in the desired areas. 

Start With The First Paint Layer

Those who are painting their home need to make sure they paint with a single layer at a time. Even though it can be a hassle to move the painting equipment from spot to spot, give the paint time to rest before judging the work. Finish the first layer before moving on to the next.

Call A Professional Home Painting Contractor For Help

Finally, it can be hard to paint a home. Often, the job does not proceed exactly as planned. Therefore, homeowners should not hesitate to call a contractor for help. Even though homeowners might feel like this is spending money unnecessarily, the costs that come from a painting job performed incompletely or incorrectly will be far more significant.

A contractor has the training and experience necessary to get home painting jobs done correctly the first time.  

If you are in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to consult with your trusted home mortgage professional to discuss financing options.

How Much Money To Budget For Home Maintenance

How Much Money To Budget For Home Maintenance1Owning a home comes with a lot of responsibilities. One of these involves home maintenance. Sometimes, people are surprised by the size and frequency of home maintenance costs.

In order to reduce the stress that comes with home maintenance, it is important to plan ahead of time. This means budgeting for the inevitable costs that come with home maintenance. There are a few systems that people can use to estimate their home maintenance costs.

The Percentage System

One of the most common systems that people use is the percentage system. In general, the amount of money that people spend on maintenance is directly related to the size of their home. The larger the home, the more money someone is going to spend on maintenance.

Most people will spend between 1 percent and 4 percent of their home’s value every year in maintenance costs. Older homes are going to have more maintenance costs than younger homes. For example, if a home is worth $300,000, someone is going to be spending between $3,000 and $12,000 per year on upkeep.

The Square Footage System

The range above might be too large for someone to budget accurately. Therefore, a lot of people also use the square footage system. Again, the larger the home, the more someone will spend on upkeep.

In general, someone should allocate $1 dollar per year per square foot of home. For example, if someone’s home is 2,500 square feet, they should allocate about $2,500 per year in home maintenance. 

Some of the downsides of this method are that it does not take into account the location or age of the home. Keep these factors in mind as well.

Home Maintenance Is Different Than Home Repairs

Home maintenance costs are very different than major repairs. The idea of maintenance is to prevent repairs from arising. If someone has to replace their HVAC unit or take out faulty wiring, this does not count as home maintenance costs.

With this in mind, it is important for everyone to budget accurately for home maintenance and to make sure these tasks are completed on-time. Proper home maintenance can save money on homeownership by preventing major repair bills from coming up down the road. 

And any time you have home maintenance questions, remember to ask your real estate professional. They have a lot of experience dealing with every type of home repair and a list of local referral maintenance providers.

If you are in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to contact your trusted home mortgage professional to discuss financing options.

5 Essential Books To Read Before Starting In Real Estate

5 Essential Books To Read Before Starting In Real EstateIt is important for everyone to put money in a position to make money in order to make financial dreams come true. One of the common targets that people circle is real estate investing.

Before jumping into the world of real estate investing, it is important for everyone to be prepared. This starts by reading a few fantastic books that can help people learn more about the environment associated with investing in real estate.

The Book On Investing In Real Estate

One of the first books that people need to circle is called The Book On Investing In Real Estate. This is a fantastic book that explains to everyone how they can get involved in real estate investing with limited capital. It doesn’t take much to get started. The strategies discussed in this manner are similar to those involved with investing large amounts of money.

The Millionaire Real Estate Investor

A book titled The Millionaire Real Estate Investor is another great read. This book was put together using interviews with more than 100 millionaire investors in the world of real estate. Those who would like to be successful in this arena need to make sure they learn from the successes of those who came before them.

How A Second Home Can Be Your Best Investment

This book, titled How A Second Home Can Be Your Best Investmentis a great read for anyone who is looking to get started in this investing world. This book is written by some of the world’s leading experts in the world of real estate. Using plain language, everyone has the potential to learn about the basics involved in investing in real estate.

One Rental At A Time

This read, titled One Rental at a Time, is an easy and straightforward read. The book compares the world of investing in real estate with an ancient Chinese proverb. This proverb can serve as a powerful guiding principle that can help people get started in the sector of real estate investing.

The Entrepreneur Mind

It is important for those who are looking to get started in this investment state to read everything they can. At the same time, this is also about building a business, which The Entrepreneur Mind addresses. The business world is useful for every aspiring real estate to understand.

Reading high-quality books about real estate investing is a great way to improve your knowledge. Combine that knowledge with a trusted team of real estate industry professionals like a trusted real estate agent and mortgage financing expert and you’ll have a winning combination!