Thinking about buying a new home? Why you should call an agent

 

So, let's be honest here, as we know the housing market shifts pretty frequently and it's inevitable that interest rates will rise and fall. But how long will you hold out and wait around for the perfect market to start the home buying process? In my opinion, there never is a perfect market. Either the market will favor sellers, or it'll favor buyers. That's why you'll hear the phrase sometimes "it's a buyer's market right now'' or ''it's a seller's market right now''. Either way, no matter what type of market it is, it's always still good to know your options whether you're a buyer or a seller. It seriously NEVER hurts to contact a Real Estate agent to discuss any questions and/or concerns you may have! You can google all day long but until you speak to a realtor (who knows the true and current market updates) you may be deceived by what the internet has to say and the answers to your questions may vary tremendously.

For buyers, there WILL always be mortgage loan programs available to you that'll help you in buying a new home, especially if you're a first-time home buyer. The most commonly used program for first-time home buyers is the FHA loan which only requires a low-down payment such a 3.5%. Contact an agent to learn more about this option and who can put you in touch with a good lender.

As for investors such as myself and my husband, we recently found a conventional mortgage loan program which will only require us to put down 5% on a multi-family property so long as we occupy a unit for 1 year. Generally, conventional loans require anywhere from 10-20% depending on the type of property you're interested in purchasing. So you can imagine our surprise when we found a lender who offered this type of loan. This just goes to show, you never know if there's an option right for you unless you look into it.

So, this is why I HIGHLY advice you to call an agent for the answers to any questions you have! Don't rely on the internet, as much as we spend daily on doing our own research on the internet, it will always be a mixed bag of answers and opinions! The internet all too often scares people away and can be quite discouraging. The example I commonly like to use is; when you're not feeling well, you google your symptoms, and many websites will scare you into thinking the problem is more severe! I rather just call my doctor and explain my symptoms over the phone, and they'll determine if I need to come in for a visit or just lay low and recommend some home remedies. I assume you trust your doctor and take whatever advice they give you. The same goes for just picking up the phone and contacting a realtor, it's our duty to give you honest answers and current updates. Whether you like the answers or not, at least you'll have the correct information and choose what you will with it! We are licensed and educated in Real Estate, obligated to provide you with solid answers and offer advice that'll best suit you!

To wrap this one up, if you've been thinking ''is now a good time to buy a house?'' ''am I financially qualified to buy a house?'' ''what are the current interest rates?'' ''how much money do I need to put down on a house?'' '' what are my options?'' CALL AN AGENT who can guide you. By all means, if you prefer to find answers yourself via google, it's likely you'll never move forward because of the ''mixed bag'' of info you'll get. So, don't shy away or get discouraged because you think now isn't a good time to buy, that couldn't be further from the truth.

(Huge thank you to everyone who decides to read my blogs, this is becoming a fun and insightful way to share my thoughts and opinions with you. If I can help at least one of you in the slightest way, it's all worth it! I'm an open book for anyone who needs help and advice in real estate so feel free to send me a text or private message:)