is a really great book. But... it makes me a little nervous about everything involved with buying a house. Yes, we're taking a leap of faith and starting our journey of loan applications, real estate agents, and of course finding that perfect house. So excited!!
So far we've filled out a prequalification application (not to be confused with a preapproval). We're going to finalize a few more parts of our official loan application this weekend and send that out early next week. Also, we're utilizing the USAA MoversAdvantage® program where they assign a real estate agent to us and as long as we use them to close on a house, we'll get a bonus from USAA. We weren't expecting our agent to contact us so soon. She called Tim just the other day and sent us an email with a list of houses that meet our criteria. There are four of them that might work out for us - two in Saukville and two in Port Washington. We hope to view a few of the homes over the next couple of weeks just to get a better idea of what we're looking for, questions to ask, and to see how well the internet pictures match up with the actual house.
I must say that I'm a little nervous about all the different expenses and paperwork involved. It's our first house! I don't want to screw up! House hunting is so much more of a commitment than finding an apartment to rent. However, God is great and I'm just going to have to rely on Him to let everything fall into place the way that He wants. I've been trying to pray for Tim and I a lot more so that we're on the same page with all the decision making. Plus, I'd like to avoid any unnecessary stress and arguments.
Since there are other friends out there that are looking to buy houses, Tim and I are going to keep some more of the details to ourselves for now. So if we're a little more vague when talking about houses, locations, prices, loans, etc., please don't be offended. We'll share as much as we feel comfortable. For now, I'm going to enjoy this time of learning and will try and post any tips that I get from "Home Buyers for Dummies."
5 comments:
Michelle, Paul and I took a class called "First Time Homebuyers". It was an 8 hour class and they had a ton of guest speakers, realtors, home inspectors, title agent, closing agent, home inspector...etc. They all explained what to look for, how to start, what to expect etc. It was pretty helpful. The person who led our class was a financial planner and she explained budgeting and how much of your income should go towards home expenses. It was such a helpful thing. I wonder if WI has a similar thing?
That's a great idea. I think we're required to take some sort of a class for the loan we want to take out. I'm not sure of all the details with the classes that are available to meet that requirement, but will have to research. The "dummy" book goes into all those sorts of details too, but it's sometimes nicer to talk to a live person about those sorts of things.
Good luck! It is positively overwhelming isn't it? :) Jacob and I just bought a condo out here in California in September.
We almost rushed into getting a place that we didn't like as much because it was cheaper. Luckily, it was way overpriced and didn't appraise so we were able to back out of the sale without punishment (since the seller wouldn't knock down his price to match the appraisal).
Be sure you love what you find and don't be swayed by the price tag. Know what you can afford, but don't just try to go for the lower end. If you find the perfect place and it's in your range, then you go for it. The place we bought ended up being at the top end of our range, but in the end, it is so worth it because we're going to be here for a long time and we absolutely love our place. We would have been unhappy in the cheaper place after just a few years and been stuck!
I will be praying for your family & God's plan to be revealed!! I hope you find your dream home and don't get too overwhelmed... someday when I'm looking for a house I'll be coming to you for advice :)
That's great advice Shelly (hehe... bet you haven't been called that in a while). I would definitely prefer to pay a little more for a place that I'm more in love with. Thanks for your prayers, Kayla!
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