First Time Home Buyers Archives - Susan Helton Realty

First Time Home Buyers

Hope Is on the Horizon for Today’s Housing Shortage

The major challenge in today’s housing market is that there are more buyers looking to purchase than there are homes available to buy. Simply put, supply can’t keep up with… Read more ⇢

How Misunderstandings about Affordability Could Cost You

There’s a lot of discussion about affordability as home prices continue to appreciate rapidly. Even though the most recent index on affordability from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows… Read more ⇢

Buying a Home Is Still Affordable

The last year has put emphasis on the importance of one’s home. As a result, some renters are making the jump into homeownership while some homeowners are re-evaluating their current… Read more ⇢

Don’t Forget to Budget for Closing Costs

When buying a home, it’s important to have a budget and make sure you plan ahead for certain homebuying expenses. Saving for a down payment is the main cost… Read more ⇢

The Power of Mortgage Pre-Approval [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights Mortgage pre-approval means a lender has reviewed your finances and, based on factors like your income, debt, and credit history, determined how much you’re qualified… Read more ⇢

Why Waiting to Buy a Home Could Cost You a Small Fortune

Many people are sitting on the fence trying to decide if now’s the time to buy a home. Some are renters who have a strong desire to become homeowners… Read more ⇢

Should I Buy Now or Wait? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Some Highlights If you’re thinking that waiting a year or two to purchase a home might mean you’ll save some money, think again. Mortgage interest rates are… Read more ⇢

Patience Is the Key to Buying a Home This Year

The question many homebuyers are facing this year is, “Why is it so hard to find a house?” We’re in the ultimate sellers’ market, which means real estate is… Read more ⇢

How Much Time Do You Need To Save for a Down Payment?

One of the biggest hurdles homebuyers face is saving for a down payment. As you’re budgeting and planning for your home purchase, you’ll want to understand how much you’ll need… Read more ⇢

Your Tax Refund and Stimulus Savings May Help You Achieve Homeownership This Year

If you’re planning to buy a home this year, saving for a down payment is one of the most important steps in the process. One of the best ways to… Read more ⇢

Is Homeownership Still Considered Part of the American Dream?

Since the birth of our nation, homeownership has always been considered a major piece of the American Dream. As Frederick Peters reports in Forbes: “The idea of… Read more ⇢

Why You Should Think About Listing Prices Like an Auction’s Reserve Price

For generations, the homebuying process never really changed. The seller would try to estimate the market value of the home and tack on a little extra to give themselves some… Read more ⇢

What Credit Score Do You Need for a Mortgage?

According to data from the most recent Origination Insight Report by Ellie Mae, the average FICO® score on closed loans reached 753 in February. As lending standards have tightened recently,… Read more ⇢

How Upset Should You Be about 3% Mortgage Rates?

Last Thursday, Freddie Mac announced that their 30-year fixed mortgage rate was over 3% (3.02%) for the first time since last July. That news dominated real estate headlines that… Read more ⇢

What Are the Benefits of a 20% Down Payment?

If you’re thinking of buying a home this year, you may be wondering how much money you need to come up with for your down payment. Many people may… Read more ⇢

Get your Instant Home Value…

Find out here