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Showing posts with the label Tips for First Time Home Buyers

Taking the First Steps in Home Buying

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Home ownership is one of many milestones many people hope to achieve at some point in their life. As with anything, there's a first time for everyone - and that may mean many questions to ask and many learning curves to experience. Let's face it, buying a home isn't as simple as finding the one you love, and moving in. There are many moving pieces that many first-time buyers may not consider when they begin their journey. By sitting down with a trusted advisor, such as a reputable lender or Realtor, they can guide you on what is financially necessary. Here are just a few questions that may arise in your first steps of buying a home . What if I Don't Have the Down Payment? A big financial hold up for many first-time buyers is coming up with the down payment requirement. Not everyone has 20% of the purchase cost of a home just sitting in a savings account for these kinds of occasions. And that's ok. Setup a plan for how you will obtain that financial goal so ...

A Beginner's Guide to Home Buying

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While there is much more to this topic than we could possibly cover in one blog, the MacGuire Team knows how intimidating buying your first home can be. We want to help take some of the fear out of your new decision with a few basic things you'll need to know as a beginner. Our team has been providing the best real estate in Colorado Springs for over 25 years, so we have a few things to offer when it comes to buying your first home. Here are 5 things to remember as you venture into the home buying process, and how our team can assist you. Loan Pre-Qualification It's important to establish how much you are comfortable with spending on your first home before hitting the streets. In fact, if you don't know how much you're willing to spend per month, it can make searching for your home more challenging. You could fall in love with the first home you see, but realize that it's WAY over budget. We recommend talking with a mortgage lender before you start the home s...

5 Steps for Buying Your First Home

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Are you a first-time homebuyer? I would love to work with you! In fact, first-time homebuyers are one of my favorites to help through the real estate process. Whether it's the fresh excitement of starting a new journey or all of the questions being asked from a fresh new perspective - it makes my career very fulfilling. Of course, that doesn't make it any less intimidating for you as you navigate the ropes of buying your first home. Here are a few things to keep in mind to keep the process simple and as stress-free as possible. 1st. Loan Pre-Qualification You'll want to find a trusted mortgage lender in Colorado Springs to help you with this step. If you're new to the area and don't know who to trust, we can recommend several in the area who we have personally worked with and who will guide you through the financial part of buying a home. You want to have your pre-qualification out of the way before you start to look at homes, though. This will give you a st...

3 Things You Need To Know When Buying Your First Home

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We love working with first-time homebuyers! First, we get to experience the excitement with you of branching out in this new, unknown territory. Secondly, we love being able to help you find a home that not only fits your budget but can appeal to all of the things you need in a home. The Mike MacGuire team wants to help first-time home buyers in Colorado Springs , because we know the market, and we know how to help you find the perfect place. Here are five things you'll want to keep in mind as you venture out into the world of home buying for the first time. Space Versus Location There are many decisions you'll be making in the future, where you want to live, what size home you want, how large of a yard you'll need, and many other details that you may not think of right now. If there is anything that you know you want right off the bat, make a decision, and don't settle for anything. If you have the option of choosing between a small home that is located right in ...

Should You Buy Or Rent Your Next Home?

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The decision to buy or rent their next homes has challenged home-seekers for years. Buying a house in Colorado Springs can be a daunting prospect financially, but studies are consistently showing that owning your own home is often just as (if not more ) affordable than renting one. The ultimate decision is of course up to you, but The MacGuire Team is here to offer a few important considerations. Owning Is More Affordable Than You Think Contrary to popular belief, the days of having to have a stellar credit score and a 20% down payment in order to buy a house are long gone. Thanks to varied and competitive mortgage options, buyers are now able to purchase homes with as little as 10%, 5%, 3%, and (in some cases) even 0% down. Interest rates are also at a historic low, which means your monthly mortgage payments can be incredibly affordable. Renting Is More Expensive Than You Think People who don't think they can afford to buy often choose to rent as an alternative,...

7 Things You Should Do Immediately After Buying Your New Home

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Make your wish list, get prequalied, organize your household budget... People are always talking about what you should do when you're preparing to buy a house in Colorado Springs , but what about what you should do after you have signed your name on the dotted line? What are some of the first steps you should take as a proud new homeowner? The MacGuire Team is here to answer your questions. 7 Things You Should Do Immediately After Buying Your New Home 1. Inspect Your Home Thoroughly When you're buying a house in Colorado Springs , it's easy to get so swept up in the excitement of it all that you forget to notice the little details. Once the home is officially yours, give it a thorough inspection to make sure everything is as it should be. Should you need to contact the sellers, you'll want to do so sooner than later. 2. Deep Clean BEFORE Moving All Your Stuff In If at all possible, we highly recommend thoroughly cleaning your new home before moving all of y...

Buying Your First Home - 4 Myths

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Are you thinking about purchasing your first home? Congratulations - that's such an exciting step! At The MacGuire Team, we do our best to make buying your first home in Colorado Springs a fun, exciting, and stress-free experience. Most first-time home buyers have lots of questions about the process, so we've taken it upon ourselves to debunk some of the most common myths about buying your first home . MYTH #1: You Have To Have A 20% Down Payment Many people believe that you have to supply a 20% down payment in order to qualify for a mortgage loan, but in today's market, that simply isn't the case. You may have to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) until you have paid off 20% of your loan, but that does not preclude you from taking out a mortgage loan with less money down upfront. MYTH #2: You Have To Too Much Debt To Qualify For A Mortgage Loan Some people automatically assume that if they have debt yet to be paid off, they won't be able to qualify ...

4 FAQs About Buying a Home - ANSWERED!

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For first-time home buyers or buyers who have been out of the real estate market for several years, buying a home can seem like a complicated process. There are so many small details to be handled that it's easy for home buyers to become overwhelmed.  As your trusted real estate agent for the Colorado Springs area , I'm here to help. Here are some quick answers to the questions I hear most often about buying a home. Why Should I Hire A Real Estate Agent To Represent Me? You should hire a Realtor for the same exact reason that I'm writing this blog. Real estate transactions are incredibly complex with lots of working parts. An experienced real estate agent knows what to expect and how to handle any issues that may arise, which will help make your experience of buying a home in Colorado Springs much more stress-free. How Much Money Will I Be Required To Pay Up Front? This is a common question among home buyers, but unfortunately a difficult one to answer. The a...