What I Need To Know About Buying My First Home

Buying a house can take as little as a few days if you're buying in cash, or can take years if you're counting the amount of time it takes you to save money for a down payment and decide where to live. In a competitive housing market, you may put in multiple offers on homes before one is accepted. Conversely, mounting worry over a housing recession could lead more sellers to pull their homes from the market, making it more difficult to find a suitable property. If you already have your money saved and have a good idea of the neighborhoods and type of home you want, the process will probably take you two to six months. Ask a local real estate agent for a more accurate timeline based on your local market conditions.

what i need to know about buying my first home

One of the most important priorities of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is helping home buyers with the purchase of their first home, and this includes assisting borrowers with their down payment. If you qualify as a first-time home buyer, you may have access to state programs, tax breaks and an FHA loan.

Did you know that you can decide between multiple types of mortgage loans? The type of loan you choose will determine your down payment amount, the type of home you can buy and more. Here are some of the more familiar types:

Your reason for buying a home will be your north star for making decisions about your purchase. If your goal is to dip your toe into real estate investment, a duplex may be the perfect option for you.

For example, you might focus on finding a home with extra bedrooms if you plan to have children or need a home office. If pets are the light of your life, a big yard or a location near plenty of green spaces may be nonnegotiable.

Andrew Dehan is a professional writer who writes about real estate and homeownership. He is also a published poet, musician and nature-lover. He lives in metro Detroit with his wife, daughter and dogs.

Down payment: Buying a home with no money down is possible, but most homeowners need to have some cash for a down payment. A down payment is the first major payment you make on your loan at closing.

What score will you need to qualify for a home loan? Most lenders require a credit score of at least 620 to qualify for the majority of loans. A score above 720 will generally get you the very best loan terms.

To get preapproved, you need to apply with your lender. The preapproval process typically involves answering some questions about your income, your assets and the home you want to buy. It will also involve a credit check.

There are multiple parties involved when getting a mortgage and buying a house. Your real estate agent is your representative in the home purchase transaction. Your agent will look out for your best interests by finding homes that meet your criteria, get you showings, help you write offers and negotiate.

Only you can decide which property is right for you. Make sure you see plenty of homes before you decide which one you want to make an offer on. Like much of the home buying process, you can do a great deal of your house hunting online.

1. Use a trusted realtor. We all know that realtors get a cut of the sales price of a home which makes some buyers hesitant to use a realtor: they believe it drives up the overall cost. Keep in mind that the seller, not the buyer, pays the commission. Brooke Willmes, real estate agent at SPACE & COMPANY in Philadelphia, says that potential buyers should keep in mind that a listing agent (the agent representing the seller) doesn't protect your interests and "that agent would simply pocket both sides of the commission." That means that you're not saving money. A savvy realtor who works for you can protect your interests and guide you through the buying process - from negotiating a price to navigating home inspections.

2. Remember that a house purchase involves a contract. When you're buying a house, there are papers to sign. And more papers to sign. Many of those papers - which are actually contracts - look like "standard" home buying contracts with no room for negotiation. That isn't true. Contracts are meant to be negotiated. You don't have to sign a standard agreement. If you want more time to review your inspection, wish to waive a radon test or want to make a purchase subject to a mortgage approval, you can make that part of the deal. That's where a savvy realtor can help. See again #1.

4. Think about commitment. I'm not talking just about your mortgage. When you get married, the laws of your state generally determine how your assets are treated - and ultimately how they're distributed at divorce. The same rules don't necessarily apply when you're not married. That means you need to think long term. When you buy a house with your significant other who is not your spouse, make sure you have an exit plan if things don't go the way you hope. It's a good idea to have an agreement in place with respect to titling, mortgage payments and liability, repairs and the like: it's best to get it in writing (and yes, I'd recommend getting a lawyer).

5. Look beyond paint. It's often the case that your dream house has that one room that you're already fantasizing about changing. Willmes says to remember that it's fairly inexpensive to fix cosmetic issues (a bit of paint or some wallpaper) but making changes to kitchens and baths can be expensive. She says, "People tend to focus on the cost of cabinets, appliances and counters but sometimes forget about the cost of labor which can double to triple the cost." That doesn't mean that you should give up on a house in need of a significant fix but you should factor in those costs when determining whether you can afford to buy.

6. Buy the house you know that you can afford. This can be different from the price that your mortgage company believes that you can afford. When my husband and I bought our first house, we were approved for a mortgage of about three times more than we ultimately ended up spending. Fresh out of law school and working for established firms, our finances looked good on paper. But we dialed back our expectations because we weren't convinced that our income and expenses would remain at those levels. We were right: two years later, we started our own business just as the economy turned south. The less expensive house meant that we could still make our payments even with less income in pocket. So what's the best ratio to use? Some lenders suggest that you can afford mortgage payments totaling about 1/3 of your gross income but others suggest closer to 28% for housing related costs including mortgage, insurance and taxes. There are a number of factors including your projected income, interest rates, type of mortgage and the market. Ask your mortgage broker to help you understand what's in play.

7. Don't fixate on the purchase price. The purchase price is just one piece of owning a house: be sure to consider all of the costs associated with your potential new home. That includes the cost of insurance, homeowner association fees and real estate taxes - depending on where you live, those can quickly add up. And it's not just home improvements that can cost money: maintenance costs dollars, too. It's a good idea to ask questions about upkeep for extras like swimming pools, fancy heating and cooling systems and out buildings. Finally, Willmes suggests that you make sure you're comparing apples to apples: a condo with a large fee that's priced low may be more costly than a higher priced one with lower fees while a cheap home with high taxes may cost you more a month than a more expensive one with lower taxes.

9. Don't get carried away by the home mortgage interest deduction. Many taxpayers are tempted to buy more house than they can afford by figuring that they'll save enough with the home mortgage interest deduction to make up for it. The mortgage interest deduction is only deductible if you itemize on your Schedule A: only about 1/3 of taxpayers claim the itemized deduction. You itemize if your deductions exceed the standard deduction: for 2015, the standard deduction rates are $12,600 for married taxpayers filing jointly and $6,300 for individual taxpayers (those rates stay put for 2016). Assuming that you do itemize, remember that your out of pocket will still be more than your tax savings (if you're in a 28% bracket, paying $5,000 more in interest will only "save" you $1,400 in taxes). And you can't count on the same level of savings forever: mathematically, the longer you own your house, the less you will owe in interest. That's good for building your equity but it means a smaller deduction come tax time.

First-time homebuyers are often eligible for specific programs and discounts that can make buying a home more affordable. For example, an FHA loan, which is backed by the Federal Housing Administration, is designed to help first-time buyers. It requires as little as a 3.5% down payment, for example. And while most mortgages require a credit score of at least 620, you can secure an FHA loan with a credit score of 580. If your credit score is slightly lower, say between 500 and 579, you could still qualify for an FHA loan, but the down payment requirement jumps up to 10%.

This is the part where you get to scroll through Zillow -- and not just window shop. Looking for a home online has become something of a national pastime, but you should also go to local open houses, as well as talk to realtors, brokers and other people in your neighborhood who have recently purchased their first home.

You want to put your strongest foot forward when making an offer as a first-time homebuyer. Making your highest and best offer first is usually what realtors recommend in order for it to be competitive, which is particularly important right now.

Your closing costs will add up to thousands of dollars. The average closing costs for a single-family home purchase were $6,387 in the first half of 2021, but they vary widely depending on where you live. For example, in high-demand places such as New York, average closing costs can be as high as $17,000. Typically, your closing costs will be around 2% to 5% of your loan. 041b061a72