Buying a Home – Using a Real Estate Attorney
A big part of starting a family is buying your first home – you want them to live in a spacious house in a safe neighborhood that is close to good schools. Buying your first home, however, is not as easy as spotting one and paying for it – many young people lose money because they don’t know what goes into the transaction. We recommend choosing a quality real estate agent for your new home purchase. Just because a person holds a real estate license, does not mean they are the best person for your real estate transaction. There are many websites that assist in choosing a real estate agent. In addition, we keep a list of real estate agents and broker that we have had successful transactions with that we can recommend for you if needed.
The Legality of Real Estate
Because real estate transactions include large sums of money, real estate can be very litigious. Because the purchase agreement and other legal documents are needed for all real estate sales, we recommend working closely with a real estate attorney in addition to your real estate agent. Once you find the perfect home for sale with your agent, we request that you send us all of the legal documents, including the purchase agreement and all addendum, so we can review them. We will then coordinate with your agent through the closing on your new home. The best real estate agents do not have any issue with working in tandem with a real estate attorney. Using a qualified attorney does not affect their real estate commission, as a matter of fact, it provides the agent/broker with an additional level of protection.
Some Tips for Buying Your First Home
Start saving early.
Often lenders require that you put down at least 20% but today you will find lenders who are willing to take as low as 3%. While this may seem like a better deal it is not – it often means higher interest rates. In the long term you will end up paying a lot more than what you would have. The best thing to do is start saving as soon as you get your first job. By the time you are in your late twenties and ready to start a family you will have enough money to put down 20% or more.
Make sure that you have a good credit score.
Lenders are more willing to lend money to people who don’t have outstanding financial obligations. Avoid spending big – that is how people get into debt in the first place.
Know what you can afford.
Come up with an amount that you can comfortably afford. Many young people end up buying homes that they cannot afford because they want to keep up with their friends. Remember, you are starting a family and you don’t want to do that with an unaffordable mortgage over your head.
Look for financial solutions.
Look into what down payment options are available – there are many government sponsored programs that provide affordable loans to first time home buyers.
Plan for closing costs.
Don’t forget to take into account closing costs – these are separate from what you will pay for the home and they are often significant.
Budget for the move-in.
That is not all that you should budget for – remember that after you move in you will need to furnish your home. You don’t have to do it all at once – you can furnish only the rooms that you need right after you move in and then do the others slowly. This will help ease the financial burden.
Think about what type of home would be best.
If you buy a condo, for example, you will not have to worry about the cost of maintenance. If you buy a single family home all repairs and maintenance will be on you.
Think about homeowners insurance.
Your home will be your most precious asset and you want to be able to recover should anything happen to it. There are many different types of cover available and you don’t want to buy the cheapest one – it means that you don’t have full coverage. Buy a cover that takes care of the property as well as the contents.
Get pre approved.
Pre Approval gives you the confidence that you are staying within your budget and reassures the seller that you can afford the home.
Choosing the right real estate attorney is an important aspect of purchasing a home. Make sure that the law firm that you choose has a good reputation. Choose your lawyer and agent wisely. .