Thinking About Buying Your First Lexington SC Home?
Thinking about purchasing a home of your own? Keep these critical considerations in mind when looking for your Lexington South Carolina home for sale. : Tip 4 0f 5
Your credit and home affordability.
Is now the right time financially for you to buy a home? Would you rate your financial picture as healthy? Is your credit good? While you can always find a lender to lend you money, solid lenders are more skeptical if your credit history is not good. Generally, a couple of blemishes on a credit report will make you a good credit risk and could qualify you for the lowest interest rates. If you have more than a couple of blemishes on your report, lenders like Quicken Loans may still provide you with a loan, but you may just have to pay a higher interest rate and fees.
Some say that you should refrain from borrowing as much as you qualify for because it is wiser not to stretch your financial boundaries. The other school of thought says you should stretch to buy as much home as you can afford, because with regular pay raises and increased earning potential, the big payment today will seem like less of a payment tomorrow. This is a decision only you can make. Are you in a position where you expect to make more money soon? Would you rather be conservative and fairly certain that you can make your payment without stretching financially? Make sure that whatever you do, it's within your comfort zone.
To determine how much home you can afford, talk to a lender or go online and use a "home affordability" calculator. Good calculators will give you a range of what you may qualify for. Then call a lender. While some may say that the "28/36" rule applies, in today's home mortgage market, lenders are making loans customized to a particular person's situation. The "28/36" rule means that your monthly housing costs can't exceed 28 percent of your income and your total debt load can't exceed 36 percent of your total monthly income. Depending on your assets, credit history, job potential and other factors, lenders can push the ratios up to 40-60% or higher. While I'm not advocating you purchase a home utilizing the higher ratios, its important for you to know your options.
Copyright © 2009 by Laura Jefferson, Acquire Real Estate
I specialize in Buying and Selling Lexington South Carolina Real Estate in and around the Midlands of South Carolina. If you are thinking about buying or selling your home in Lexington, Lake Murray, Gilbert, Irmo, West Columbia, Columbia, Red bank, Pelion, Gaston, Chapin, Prosperity, Saluda, Newberry or other surrounding areas of South Carolina, and more importantly, want to work with the local area expert, please contact me at your earliest convenience.
Laura --- good post for potential buyers -- hopefully, buyers will not buy now assuming that they will be getting raises.
Mama Liz
Hi Laura: I typically advise buyers to purchase below their means. There is nothing worse than buying a home based on a 2-person income and having one person lose a job.