The Best Time To Buy Your First Home
There are many real estate market forecasts and predictions available - however the bottom line is that if you want to buy your first home—there is no wrong time. This is because the motivation to buy is not determined by regional market conditions or by location, but rather by your personal needs.
Industry opinions, economic reports, and investor speculation do not sway or predict when a particular individual will be ready to buy.
For the great majority of people, the most compelling reasons to buy a home are based on individual circumstances and personal needs. Some of these factors are:
Family needs and desires for children/parents/in-laws/couples
Convenience to home, work, school, social activities
New work situation
Sense of achievement or fulfillment
Freedom and independence
Sense of security and privacy
Even though there are many changes in the market, both up and down—people still need and want to buy homes. This desire to buy a home is deeply rooted in the fabric of our national consciousness. The intrinsic value of homeownership—defined as worth based on perception of value--gives far more satisfaction than ROI calculators can quantify.
Today, there are many different loan programs with flexible terms to fit all buyers. There are city and county down-payment assistance programs to assist in buying a home. There are condos and manufactured homes to close the affordability gap. For future buyers with blemished credit, there are many debt reduction and counseling programs to help gain a fresh start.
How do you make the leap to become a homeowner? First, you must determine that you want to buy a home. Sounds simple, yet many people find that getting started is the hardest part. There are perceived obstacles in the minds of many would-be homeowners: Do we have enough money for the down payment? How can we get out of our current lease? Where can we afford to live? The goal is home ownership, and there are many steps to reach the goal. You may not be financially ready yet, but you need to ascertain where you are NOW in relation to your goal.
Get your finances in order. Accurately determine your financial situation and check your credit to determine where you fall as a borrower. Look at all of your available assets for your down payment and examine all of the finance options available to you. If you have some credit blemishes, take the time to make timely payments to your creditors to present the best financial picture to your home lender. Make sure that you have a track record of stability in your employment history. Postpone any major purchases such as c |