Saturday, 27 August 2011

Helpful Saving Techniques For Buying A New Home

By Jeremy Burke


Sticking to a budget is most probably the best thing in your mind if you are looking into purchasing a new home. Here are some basic guidelines to aid in the budgeting process.

Purchasing a house is generally a fantastic way to invest. Sure, the market has been looking a little bit shaky lately, but you can just about guarantee that in the future prices will start going up again.

Before you start to look for a home, you'll want to take a good look at your finances to see what you can comfortably afford. Don't make the mistake of purchasing a home that is too expensive.

When you are applying for a mortgage, your income to debt ratio will be assessed. In order to be considered, you'll want to make sure that your existing debt plus your new house payment will not add up to more than 36% of your gross income.

Planning ahead to pay off as much of your existing debt as possible can be very helpful. Try paying off some of your credit cards, installment loans, or anything else that you make payments on.

Planning your budget will help you save for the down payment which is 10% to 20% for most purchases. You'll also need to allot enough funds for required home inspections, not to mention closing costs, which might end up with another 3% to 8% on top of the purchase cost.

Make sure you have enough saved to pay for any necessary insurance, services, utilities or repairs that may be needed. Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to purchase one or more major appliances, if they are not included in the home.

By being aware of all these expenses beforehand, you are arming yourself so that you will not be surprised later on. If you start saving far enough out, you will be prepared when it comes to buying your house.




About the Author:



No comments: