If you’re hoping to buy your first Chicago home in the upcoming year or so, you should start planning today! Home buying isn’t an overnight process, and the better prepared you are, the better your chances of success. Here are steps you can take now to make your home buying dreams a reality!
1. Attend a free first-time home buying seminar. You’ll get real-world, Chicago home buying information from local real estate and mortgage experts, all without any obligation, and without any sales pressure.
2. Define your home buying goals. When would you like to buy a home? Where would you like to live? What kind of home do you need? How long do you expect to live in the home?
3. Pull your credit report and get your score in the best possible shape. We’ve talked about this in our blog many times over the years. If your credit has some warts, you’ll want to address them as soon as possible, and establish a record of consistent, on-time payments. There is no “quick fix” for bad credit!
4. Examine your debts, and lighten your debt load wherever you can. Your debt burden affects your mortgage repayment ability. If you owe large balances on credit cards, student loans or other debts, paying them down will save you money on interest, and improve your debt-to-income ratio.
5. Establish a budget and a savings strategy. Take a hard look at where your money goes. Where can you spend less? How can you save more? Set up an automated savings plan out of your paycheck. Increase it when you receive a raise or bonus, or pay off a debt.
6. Pay attention to Chicago area real estate news! The market is always changing, and neighborhood market conditions vary from one area to another. Refer to the StartingPoint Realty blog and Facebook page often!
StartingPoint Realty – serving first-time home buyers since 2004!
StartingPoint Realty proudly serves first-time home buyers throughout Chicago and the Northwest suburbs. Get an introduction to home buying by attending our free home buying seminar! There’s no sales pressure and no obligation. Space is limited, so please register your choice of location and date to reserve your seat!
Always feel welcome to contact us for help with your Chicago home buying questions!
Ryan Gable Broker/CEO Starting Point Realty
Phone: 847.348.1154
Email: RyanGable@startingpointrealty.com
https://startingpointrealty.com/
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