Throughout the United States, millions of people are looking to buy a home in New Jersey either now or in the future. Recently, lower interest rates have become available, making it more affordable than ever to purchase a home. As a long term investment, buying a home certainly makes a lot more sense (and cents) than renting a home or an apartment.
In order to purchase a house, you will need to have sufficient funds for the closing costs and down payment. Generally, the down payment will comprise around 10 of the total purchase price. Ideally, you should try and put 20 down; otherwise you ll need to buy private mortgage insurance, which will cost you more in terms of your monthly payment.
On average, closing costs in New Jersey cost around 5 of the sales price. Before you purchase a home, you should always request an estimate. Many first time homebuyers often underestimate how much their closing costs will be.
So when will you know you re ready to buy a home? When you know precisely how much you can afford and you re willing to stick with your plan. As a general rule of thumb, when purchasing a home and calculating your monthly mortgage payment, the total should exceed no more than 25 of your total monthly income. Although you can be sure of finding lenders who will insist you can afford to pay more, you should never let them pressure you into doing so. Don t take on more than you can handle. Stick to your budget.
Keep in mind there are always more expenses involved with a home other than the mortgage payment. You also have to pay for utilities, homeowners insurance, property taxes, and maintenance. Maintaining and caring for a home requires a lot of responsibility. Make sure you budget for these expenditures and not just your mortgage.
Before filing an application for a loan, be sure to request a copy of your credit report and check for any errors. Although you may think it doesn t happen, you could easily discover an error on your credit report and not realize it. Having an error on your credit report can cost you increase in interest rates. An error can easily affect your credit or FICO score, which will throw you in a higher interest bracket and ultimately cost you a lot more money in the end. Therefore, you should always know your credit score before you approach a lender.
By checking your credit report early enough, you may leave yourself enough time to repair any problems and get your credit back on track. Rebuilding credit can take time though, sometimes even years. Always plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to fix your credit.
Purchasing a home will require a strong commitment on your behalf. You should always strive to get the best possible deals, which means knowing your credit status and where you stand financially. This way, you will be eligible for the lowest interest rates. You don t want to purchase a home with bad credit, otherwise you ll pay a lot more money for the home. By patiently taking the time to repair any credit problems and save up some cash, you ll be in an excellent position to get a much better home for your money
Author Resource:
Peter Jordan is a realtor in Westfield New Jersey committed to helping first-time homebuyers and sellers. For more information visit http://www.livinginwestfieldnj.com
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