Lake Elmo Home Buying – Durham Executive Group

Lake Elmo Home Buying – Durham Executive Group

When you decide to buy a home in Lake Elmo, MN it can be a very rewarding and exciting moment, but conversely it can become one of the most stressful moments in your life. Obviously with the financial aspect, the number of people involved in the transaction, combined with all the things that need to be done and the purchasing of a home can be simply...overwhelming for a home buyer.

The smart thing for a potential home buyer to do when they first decide they want to purchase a home is to research a good knowledgeable Lake Elmo, MN real estate agent and agree to work with them. With the real estate agents experience of handling hundreds of client transactions over the years similar to yours they will easily walk you through the steps. One of their first responsibilities is for them to help you determine whether or not you can afford to purchase a home and if you can what is the price range you can comfortably afford?

The Durham Executive Group always recommend a couple of good loan officer choices for our clients to meet with to assist the buyer's determine who they'd like qualifying them for a pre-approval , and subsequent mortgage. Determining whether you qualify for a mortgage and for what dollar amount maximum is imperative. Until this information is determined an efficient home search is very difficult if not impossible.

However, barring bad credit rating we usually tell our buyer clients upon meeting that as a ‘general rule' most buyers can afford a home that costs about 2 ½ times their yearly income. As a buyer it is important to factor in other fixed monthly costs/debt including utilities, doctor bills, groceries, car payments, insurance and so forth. We also discuss a minimum down payment and how much you might have to put down. A typical minimum down payment is 3.5% for a FHA total loan amount (unless special financing options are available).  We will also discuss with our clients other expenses that will require money upfront such as the earnest check (usually 1% of the home sale), money for a home inspection (costs range from $250-$400), an appraisal which runs approximately $400, and insurance binders.

Remember, finding and securing a good real estate agent with your best interest in mind is the very first thing a buyer should do once they decide they want to purchase a home in Lake Elmo, MN. The home buying process should be an enjoyable and memorable experience....not a stressful experience!