home affordability: Should You Buy or Build a House? - 02/22/19 07:07 AM
As you start to search for your dream home, you may be open to the range of options. One of those choices you may face is deciding on whether to buy or build your own. Each option has its pros and cons. For instance, building a home gives you the opportunity to customize a floor plan, however, it will take months to construct. If you buy a home, you will have to compromise on the floor plan, but you might be able to move in quicker.
Before you decide on your dream home, let’s compare the two.
 
Building a House
What are some … (0 comments)

home affordability: Trying to Buy a house in your 20s? - 10/24/18 08:14 AM
In your 20s, there’s so much going on with your life, especially figuring yourself out! It’s about fulfilling and preparing yourself for success. Just trying to have fun and being young, but you also go through the quarter-life crisis better known as your 20’s which could include college loans, extra expenses, and your first entry-level job.  When you think about homeownership, you think it’s beyond your reach. Believe it or not, that’s not the case!
Anything is possible, becoming a first-time home buyer is a big life decision!
 So, if you think you’re ready, what are you waiting for? Here’s how you can … (3 comments)

home affordability: Is a One-Story Home better than a Two-Story Home? - 10/17/18 12:38 PM
You probably have an idea of what type of home appeals to you most. People will find one-story homes also known as Ranch style more appealing than a two-story home, but that’s a matter of personal taste and architectural style. Whether you have an eye on a bungalow or a colonial house, one-story ranch home has plenty of positive aspects.
Here are some factors to consider on a one-story ranch style home:
Quieter living
Let’s face it, there’s no up-stairs so you won’t hear a lot of jumping and running around from above. If you have kids, a one-story home might be a nice … (0 comments)

home affordability: Should you Buy your Forever Home First? - 10/03/18 06:56 AM
The best thing about searching for your dream home is finding all the things you want in a home. It’s one thing when you buy a starter home but purchasing a forever home you need to think about what might meet your future needs. Let this sink in and ask yourself, “Do you know where you are in life? And is a starter home or a forever home best for you?”
We’ll help you decide if a forever home is calling your name. Let’s dive into things to consider when you buy your forever home.
 
A Forever Home
A forever home is generally … (0 comments)

home affordability: Buying is Now Cheaper than Renting in Georgia - 08/17/18 07:20 AM
As the cost of renting is increasing, it gets easier to decide whether it’s a smarter choice to buy or rent. A new study indicates that buying is now 26.3% cheaper in the United States, with a traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage. It indicates that 98 out of 100 United States housing markets buying is more affordable.
 
 
According to Trulia’s data, it’s no shocker that renting comes out best in two areas: San Jose and San Francisco, California. In contrast, in most places buying is still expressively better financial proposition.
 
 
Is Buying a Home cheaper than Renting in Georgia?
Atlanta posted an 11.6% … (0 comments)

home affordability: What is VA Loan? - 06/22/18 12:18 PM
Buying a home is exciting, however, figuring out the right home loans can be very stressful. Home loans, also called mortgages, come in numerous types.  Choosing the right mortgage loan is very important. To have a better idea of what loan works best for your needs we are going to dive into the VA loan program.
Did you know VA loans helped more than 22 million veterans achieve their dream home since the year of 1944? VA loans represent the most powerful lending on the market. How does a VA loan work? Well, not just anybody can get a VA Loan. … (0 comments)

home affordability: What type of home will you buy? - 05/16/18 10:23 AM
 
It's a tough call between choosing a condo, townhouse, or single-family home when it comes to first-time buyers. When deciding between each potential home market, the type of house you purchase will also impact your down payment plans.  Managing lifestyles and budgets contribute to the buyer's pros and cons. Here are the key questions to ask when deciding which type of home, you should purchase.
 
Does the area suit your lifestyle?
Newlywed couples and young professionals are one of the foremost potential first-time buyers. Young professionals are looking for a place to live that is fulfilling on several levels. The Generation of young … (0 comments)

home affordability: Why Metro Atlanta’s rent becomes the best Trend to live in than San Francisco - 04/12/18 01:05 PM
 
Thousands of people around the country move to metro Atlanta which led demand high rental rates over the past years. 
Even San Francisco, which is known for its remarkably competitive and high-priced rental market, has fallen behind. There has been an escalation in apartment stock where the intown rent prices are proceeding to rise. According to HotPads Report on Atlanta’s rent costs, "The city’s rental house stock has exploded overall by about 71 percent and in Midtown by nearly 173 percent."
There have been many new rental listings these past years and it continues to evolve to meet market high demand. According to the report, … (0 comments)

home affordability: How To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar - 02/21/18 01:28 PM
There are some things that you should consider if you're about to list your home for sale, especially if you're trying to find the most accurate price possible.
 
 
You have to think of your home as a product when you sell it, so you have to figure out how to attract these buyers to your product.
 
A lot of people think they can overprice their home and then come back down on the price if they don't get any offers, but this is a risky move. You run the risk of alienating yourself from buyers because they simply don't respond well to overpriced … (1 comments)

home affordability: How To Win A Bidding War - 02/07/18 01:24 PM
It happened, you found your perfect house. Congratulations, you’re one step closer to homeownership! You reach out to the listing agent, only to find out that someone else wants the house too. Now you are faced with a bidding war (wait… what?). Before you start to panic, we’re here to explain how to come out on top!
       Don’t bid more than you can afford Talk to your lender first before you decide how much money you are going to bid. Ideally, you should talk to us before you even start your house search. We will be able to tell you … (1 comments)

home affordability: How Can A Pre-Approval Simplify Your Home Search? - 01/10/18 01:02 PM
If you're thinking about buying, how do you find out how much home you can actually afford? This is a question we get all the time, and would love to answer for you.
The very first thing to do if you want to buy a home is to get pre-approved. The pre-approval is free, and you can figure out exactly how much house you can afford.
Once you have been pre-approved, you can begin looking at all your financial options and figure out the plan that works best for your needs. Often, you will be approved for more than you can really afford, … (0 comments)

home affordability: Five Reasons To Buy A House In Atlanta Now - 11/29/17 11:55 AM
Are you considering buying a house in Atlanta? Read on to find out why we think you should buy now!
1)      House values are up by about 10% since last year
This number is based on the data reported by Zillow. Home prices will be higher than they were over the past year or two. Therefore, it is crucial to know exactly how much house you can afford. We can help with that! Once you are certain about your price point, it is important to buy your dream house while you can still afford it.
2)      House prices are expected to keep rising
Adding on … (0 comments)

home affordability: Renters And Homeowners Agree: Now Is A Good Time To Buy - 10/04/17 02:03 PM
The share of current renters who believe that now is a good time to buy has jumped to 62 percent. That’s a two percent increase from this time last year and a 10 percent increase from last quarter.
Homeowners agree, saying that 80 percent of higher income households within the Midwest and Southern regions are optimistic about buying a house. Eighty percent of homeowners also believe that now is a good time to sell. That’s a 13 percent jump from this time last year and a five percent increase from last quarter.
So why does the housing market seem to be at … (0 comments)

home affordability: Why You Don't Need A Big Down Payment To Buy A House - 03/08/17 01:57 PM
It's unfortunate, but many people think that they can't afford to purchase a home because they don't have a large down payment saved up. Today, I discuss some down payment assistance programs that are available to homebuyers.
 
 
Down payment assistance programs provide buyers money to use as a down payment on their purchase. These are state, federal, and local programs designed to encourage homeownership, and there are several programs that are currently available to you.
 
Many of these down payment assistance programs target first-time home buyers. It's odd, but people who haven't owned a home for at least three years, even if they … (1 comments)

home affordability: What type of Mortgage is Best? - 05/23/11 07:01 PM
A mortgage is a loan where the house and land are used as collateral for the loan. If the borrower fails to make his payments, the bank forecloses on that property. In the case of foreclosure, the bank may sell the house to clear the mortgage debt.
Here are some types of mortgages can help first-time home buyers understand the fundamentals:
Conventional Mortgage – this is a mortgage loan wherein the underlying terms and conditions meet the guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Depending on market conditions and consumer trends, about 35-50 % of mortgages are conventional mortgage.
FHA Mortgage … (1 comments)

home affordability: What It Means to Be Able to Afford a Home - 04/13/11 07:17 PM
The three basic factors affecting your ability to afford a home are 1) the price of the home, 2) how much cash will be required, and 3) the monthly mortgage payment on the loan. As you may suspect, the three are tied together so that when one factor changes, so do the other two. Each is limited by your personal and financial situation and influenced by conditions in the market. Nevertheless, it is possible, with a little research and homework to make estimates of these factors sufficient to give you a good indication of whether you can afford to purchase a … (1 comments)

 
Stephen Katz, Branch Manager, CMPS (Katz Mortgage Team, a branch of VanDyk Mortgage Corporation)

Stephen Katz

Branch Manager, CMPS

Atlanta, GA

More about me…

Katz Mortgage Team, a branch of VanDyk Mortgage Corporation

Address: 800 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite C, Atlanta, GA, 30342

Office: (770) 552-1000

Mobile: (770) 824-9777



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