first time home buyer: Now is Not the Time to Pause Your Home Search
- 02/14/23 06:54 PM
Yes. Interest rates are higher than when you looked last year. Do you remember last year? When you were bidding way above the list price, removing all your buyer protections, including inspections and appraisals? That wasn't fun and you didn't end up buying a home. It wore you out and you wanted to take a break. I understand. It wasn't fun. For you, or for me. Interest rates have come down a bit and we are currently in a market with a lot less competition. Sellers are seeing their homes sit a bit longer and they are more open to the idea … (8 comments)
first time home buyer: Worried you can't afford a mortgage? You're paying your landlord's.
- 01/09/19 08:34 PM
Fear of BuyingPolls and surveys of different age groups consistently say the same thing - renters are afraid they'll never own their own home. There are a variety of reasons cited including: lack of affordable housing, bad credit and college debt. The increase in interest rates is certainly not helping the situation. Many renters are worried they can't afford a mortgage, and don't realize they're paying their landlord's mortgage instead of their own. Many want their forever home NOW, but can't afford it now. There is a broad lack of understanding about how important buying a first home is when it comes … (5 comments)
first time home buyer: Buy or Rent? That is the question.
- 07/14/15 04:20 AM
Not sure if you should buy or rent? There are several ways to come up with an answer to this question. You have to start by asking yourself a few very important questions.
Will you be financing the home? Of course your financial situation may dictate which options are available to you so it's important to talk with a great loan officer to get pre-approved. Sometimes this process identifies problems with you credit that you had no idea existed, like a past medical bill or overdue parking tickets. It's best to get an good understanding of your credit situation before starting the home buying … (8 comments)
first time home buyer: The Tale of Two Buyers - One with a House, One Without
- 11/18/14 10:31 PM
I saw this post by Susan Haughton and thought - "Everyone should see this." It reminds me of an early experience I had at work where a manager told me about the benefits of saving to a 401K earlier rather than later. She had an excellent graphic and I took her advice. I hope the readers of this post by Susan, see the wisdom she is bestowing upon them. My question is, "Do you want the fairy tale ending? Or the fairly common one? After college, Buyer A, let's call her Anna, lived with roommates to save money, put money in the … (3 comments)
first time home buyer: Should I Go to Open Houses?
- 03/27/14 04:03 AM
Should I go to Open Houses? This is a question I get all the time. The funny thing is that many of my clients prefer for me to attend Open Houses with them. Why? They've had high pressure agents scare them away from going by themselves. So, what are the things that give the buyers pause when it comes to Open Houses?
The Sign-in Sheet - Many agents who work Open Houses require attendees to sign in as they enter the home. Sometimes they say that the seller wants to see who attended, but the seller rarely sees that list. The … (2 comments)
first time home buyer: It's Winter. Should I wait until Spring to look? Absolutely Not!
- 11/25/12 10:33 PM
It's winter and inventory is low. Should I wait until spring to start my home search? Absolutely Not! It's true that inventory is low at this time of year so you won't be receiving hundreds of listings from me each day. You will probably only receive a handful at most. But within that small number of listings could be your dream home. Okay. That could be optimistic, but it could be true. And since many other people may be taking a break from their search until all the pretty spring flowers are in bloom, you may be bidding on that dream home … (3 comments)
first time home buyer: Vacate or Sell? - Second-Time Buyer Eligibility for Tax Credit
- 01/27/10 01:04 AM
I have been digging around trying to find an answer for one of my clients who is not a first-time home buyer, but a second-time home buyer. He is wondering if he is eligible for the tax credit in The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 There is a lot of very vague language about eligibility for this category for buyer. Some criteria mention vacating the first property while others mention selling it. In this particular case, my client is transferring jobs from one part of the country to another. He is buying a property here, but keeping and renting his other property. He … (0 comments)
Author Bio: Dana Hollish Hill is an experienced real estate professional licensed in Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia. She serves as REALTOR®, Broker & Coach at JPAR Stellar Living
Yes. Interest rates are higher than when you looked last year. Do you remember last year? When you were bidding way above the list price, removing all your buyer protections, including inspections and appraisals? That wasn't fun and you didn't end up buying a home. It wore you out and you wanted to take a break. I understand. It wasn't fun. For you, or for me. 
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