Making the Leap? Stop Renting & Start Owning Today
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Elix Financial Wellness presents Making The Leap? Stop Renting & Start Owning Today YOUR FINANCIAL WELLNESS EXPERTS Making the leap? Stop Renting & Start Owning Today. There’s a lot you need to know when you buy a house, especially if you’re a first timer. But, home buying doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience. You have the knowledge of Elements Financial’s experienced mortgage team to count on, and our unique First Time Home Buyer Program. It’s a tremendous offer that’s tough to find elsewhere, featuring: • 95% Financing • Gift funds can be used for down payments • No Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Required: That translates to an average savings of $1,500 per year when compared to a similar mortgage with PMI. • Loan amounts up to $275,000: To buy yourself a great starter home! Become a homeowner with support of Elements. Call (800) 621-2105 to begin the mortgage process. And look to this guide before, during and after your home buying experience to find the answers you need. Stop Renting and Start Owning Today What To Do & Not To Do Before Buying a House If you’ve been thinking about buying a home, now is the time! Look for affordable homes in your area and low interest rates on home loans. Once you decide to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity to become a homeowner, here are some things to keep in mind: DO call our credit union to speak with DO NOT change jobs/employers without inquiring a loan originator BEFORE contacting a real about the impact this change would have on the approval of estate agent. By knowing what you qualify your mortgage loan. for, you’ll be able to tell the realtor a realistic and comfortable price range. Also, we can DO NOT make major purchases (such as a new help you find a reputable agent in your area. car, furniture, appliances, electronics, etc.) as this may Be sure to inquire about this Realtor Rebate impact your qualification ratios. Please confer with your loan Program originator to have him/her calculate what your ratios are and how much additional debt, if any, you could take on and DO keep originals of all current pay still qualify. stubs, bank statements and other important financial documents. As a general rule, don’t DO NOT obtain and/or deposit unusually large throw out any paperwork for three months sums of money without notifying your loan originator. prior to your home loan application. FNMA/HUD guidelines require documentation for the source of these funds (such as a copy of your bonus check, copy of DO notify your loan originator if you plan your tax refund, copy of an insurance settlement, gift letter to receive gift funds for closing costs. with a copy of checks and deposit slips, etc.) DO keep a paper trail of all funds DO NOT close/open or transfer any asset transferred or deposited to your accounts. accounts without inquiring about the proper documentation For example, if you sold stocks and put the required for your loan file. (For example, if you transfer all money in your share draft account to use the funds in your stock account to your savings account, for your down payment, keep all paperwork documentation is required.) related to the sale of the stock. DO NOT open or increase any liabilities, including credit cards, signature loans, etc. once you’ve applied for your home loan. Again, the most important first step toward home ownership is calling the credit union and speaking with a loan originator (800) 621-2105, option 2 or applying online for your mortgage at elements.org. Even if you’re not sure you’re ready to buy, you have nothing to lose by investigating and planning ahead for this milestone. This way, you’ll learn what it will take to be fully prepared to purchase a home. Or, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that you’re ready now! Stop Renting and Start Owning Today Hunting for and Making The Offer On Your Home Once you’ve decided to buy and you’ve found a good real estate agent (realtor) through Elements Financial, you are ready to hit the pavement and find your first house! Keep a few things in mind before you begin attending showings and open houses: 1) Think About What’s Important To You Now As Well As in the Next Few Years Determine your needs in a home and share those with your realtor. Consider and prioritize factors such as distance to work; shopping and dining in the vicinity; medical care nearby; traffic patterns; quality of schools, parks and libraries; etc. 2) Find a House That Matches Your Lifestyle If you work at home, you’ll need a decent office space. If you like to throw parties, you’ll want plenty of room to entertain. If you’re planning for a family, think about the floor plan of the living space and the number of bedrooms. 3) Research Market Conditions of the Neighborhood If you find a home you like, take into account the home’s asking price against recent home sales in that area. There are many questions to explore. How are the values trending; is the area up-and- coming or on a downward spiral? How long has that home been on the market? Are there other houses you like just as much or is this really the one you want? 4) Work with Your Agent To Extend an Official Offer There are several proper steps to follow and paperwork to submit when you’re ready to make an offer to a seller. Your agent will help you draw up a purchase agreement as the first step, a document that will specify the amount of your offer plus any stipulations such as any appliances or other fixtures you want to stay with the house and your preferred date of possession. You might need to offer earnest money or a small percentage of the asking price to indicate you are serious about your offer. Once you submit these items for consideration, you wait for the seller’s response, known as the counteroffer. At that point, you can choose to agree to the terms the seller presents back to you or design another counteroffer. The point is to work toward mutually acceptable terms. Stop Renting and Start Owning Today Inspecting and Insuring Your Home So, what’s the condition of the home you’re wanting to buy? Of course, you can get a visual indication of that during your showings but it’s important to realize there’s always more to a house than what meets the eye. That’s why you will want to hire a qualified professional home inspector to conduct an official home inspection. Ask for referrals from family and friends and be sure to hire someone who is fully licensed and insured. Your offer should be contingent on this inspection which should include testing of these systems and elements: • Heating and Cooling • Roof, Gutters and Downspouts • Septic and Plumbing • Insulation & Ventilation • Electrical • Major Appliances • Walls, Floors, Ceiling and Foundation • Garage and any Structure Separate from the Home Additionally, testing for radon, carbon monoxide and termites might cost you extra, but are a good idea. In many cases, you need not be present at the home inspection; however, it’s worth your time to be there and review the home with the inspector, giving you the opportunity to ask questions. After the inspection, you’ll be ready to create an action list of tasks that need to be completed. You can consider a combination of options once you have that list: • Ask the seller to make all of the repairs • Ask the seller to make some of the repairs and handle the rest when you move in • Renegotiate the asking price based on extent of what you’ll take care of yourself. • Withdraw your offer, take back your earnest money, and move on to another house. If You Work Out a Deal After the Inspection, Congratulations! You’re ready to take the next steps toward closing on your mortgage. But first, you’ll need to arrange for homeowner’s insurance on the property you’re buying. In fact, you’ll need to produce proof of this coverage at your closing. Do yourself a favor and shop around for the best price, beginning with the company who holds your auto policy. You might qualify for a multiple-policy discount which can save you hundreds of dollars annually. Stop Renting and Start Owning Today What You Need To Know About Closing Once you have done a final walk-through of the home you’re purchasing and you find the condition to be acceptable for possession, it’s time for your closing. This is the appointment at which you’ll officially become a homeowner. Along with you and your seller(s), you can expect to have the real estate agents for both sides of the transaction attend, as well as a title company representative or attorney. Before Closing If you work out a deal after the inspection, congratulations! You’re ready to take the next steps toward closing on your mortgage. But first, you’ll need to arrange for homeowner’s insurance on the property you’re buying. In fact, you’ll need to produce proof of this coverage at your closing. Do yourself a favor and shop around for the best price, beginning with the company who holds your auto policy. You might qualify for a multiple-policy discount which can save you hundreds of dollars annually.