Joe says “When prequalifying my fiancé and I sat down and decided on a monthly payment we would be comfortable with then went to our lender and requested a prequalification for that amount. We were then informed that we could prequalify for almost double what we asked for and we turned it down and stuck to what we were comfortable with. It also helped us dodge the temptation of getting a home we knew we couldn’t afford or would be more than we were comfortable with paying. I’d recommend all first time home buyers do the same.”
David says “I’m 24 and I don’t have parents, hoping to get my life in order. You have no idea how much this advice means to me. I don’t have any guidance. Thank you sir for taking the time out of your day to post the content you make. I’ll subscribe.”
Ray says “As someone who has never bought/sold a house, I recently joined my parents in the process of selling their home (since I would be moving into their new one to save up for myself). It was the first time they had moved in 30 years, so we all were learning a lot together. Definitely a big thing I learned was how much “other” money you would need for the process. 1) Closing costs, inspection costs, costs to repair things post inspection if you’re the seller, a goodwill payment, etc. These were things I never thought about before. 2) I’ve moved apartments a lot, so moving costs aren’t new to me, but it goes back to the timeline thing. Moving apartments and moving houses isn’t the same, and timelines aren’t usually as clean. So you not only have the normal moving expenses, like supplies, movers, and tips, but you also have costs like short term storage and overlapping rent/mortgage. 3) Household necessities is also something to keep in mind. For instance, when I buy a house, I will be moving out on my own after having lived with family. That means I will need to start a pantry and fridge from scratch, buy all new cleaning supplies, get any household items like light bulbs, trash bags, toilet paper, etc. 4) And then there’s things that are unique to each place you live. Like you might have one more bathroom than you did before, so now you need to buy a shower curtain and rod, extra towels, maybe a soap dispenser and a tiny floor rug. Or that dining table you had in your old place is too big for your new place, so now you need a new table. Basically what I am saying is, the biggest thing that I learned is that saving only for a down payment is a HUGE mistake. I always thought, “I need to save a 20% down payment, and I’m set.” That’s just not true.”
