你的生活方式

Considering your lifestyle is a critical step in preparing you for your homeownership journey.

• 知道您的需求: 你知道新房子需要什么吗? With many people now spending so much more time at home, maybe you are in desperate need of a home 办公室. Perhaps you have growing children or are expecting a baby, and need to expand. Or maybe you simply need a change of location for a better school district, less commute time, or 减少了该地区的犯罪率. Knowing what you need will help to remove some of the emotional pieces when considering homeownership.
• 准备安定下来: 买房是一项长期投资. 你拥有自己的房子的时间越长, 你将建立更多的权益, 而且你可能会赚更多的钱 当你卖掉它的时候. Ideally, you should plan to live in a house at least five to ten years to capitalize on the equity. So, while things can change, be sure 你准备好了 to commit and plant 那些根至少有几年了.
• 有稳定的工作: 然而，任何工作都有不确定性, the longer you have a position or the more years as a business owner, 你的工作越有可能 会被视为足够稳定以支持自有住房吗. Stable employment and income show lenders how much house you can afford and are important indicators for qualifying for any mortgage. So if there’s any uncertainty about your income or employment, 等事情安定下来再买房子.

• 准备好承担更多责任: Owning a home means you’ll have more control over your living space, 装修厨房或铺新地板的自由. 然而, as the property owner, you’re also solely responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. If you aren’t handy, you may want to familiarize yourself with some common home maintenance tasks. 当 问题就像漏水的水龙头, 破碎的炉, 或者出现其他惊喜, you will either need the ability to fix the problems yourself or the resources to pay others to fix them.
• 愿意做出牺牲: In addition to being comfortable with your financial ability to pay a mortgage, you should also consider how a home fits into your lifestyle. Will the financial cost of a mortgage allow you to continue doing the things you’ve become accustomed to, 例如外出就餐, 在假期, 或者为孩子的活动买单? 是 you willing to “live leaner” in order to meet your homeownership 目标?

财务准备

Once you’ve determined that your lifestyle is in alignment with your homeownership 目标s, being financially prepared is by far the most important factor. 作为一个房主 是昂贵的, 你不仅会有新的抵押贷款, but must consider the additional expenses as well: closing costs, 财产税和保险, 会员费, 公用事业公司, 其他家庭开支(污水, 垃圾,互联网等.), and money for repairs and furnishings to turn the house to a livable home.

• 债务: 你有多少债务? Where you don’t have to be completely debt-free to buy a home, mortgage lenders will use your debt-to-income ratio to evaluate your 借款人的信誉. This is the percentage of your monthly gross income that goes toward those monthly payments, 包括你的抵押贷款, 学生贷款, 汽车贷款, 和最小 信用卡支付. The ratio does not include big expenses such as income taxes, health or car insurance. In general, lenders are looking for a ratio of 36% or less, though it is still possible to get a mortgage with a debt-to-income ratio as high as 43%.
• 信用评分: Your credit score is the number a lender uses to determine how well you handle credit. You don’t need perfect credit to buy a home, and there are many loans and first-time homebuyer programs available for buyers without perfect credit. While there’s no hard-and-fast rule, you’ll likely need a minimum credit score of 600 for approval. 话虽这么说, a higher score will help you qualify for a lower mortgage rate, 从长远来看为你省钱. To qualify for the most favorable rate, work on improving your credit 分数达到700分或更高. Being able to qualify for a better interest rate means you can enjoy a lower monthly mortgage payment, 让成为有房者的选择变得更容易实现 目标.
• 定金: 你已经为你的首付存了钱. Although the minimum down payment will be determined by the type of loan you receive, 它可以从任何地方 3% to 10%. 然而, 如果你的首付低于常规贷款的20%, you will likely have to pay for Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), 在你违约的情况下，哪些措施可以保护你的贷款人 在你的抵押贷款. 这种保险被加到你每月的抵押贷款中. 底线是，你放下的越多, 你的月供就会越低, 你支付的利息就越少 在贷款期限内. A healthy down payment will set you up for a much stronger financial position.

• 储蓄/应急基金: You should also make sure you have savings or emergency fund accounts set up. There will always be unexpected surprises owning a home, and in 生活太. 这很有道理, and is important to plan for this stress with extra funds in your savings and emergency accounts. By having income set aside that is the equivalent of at least 6 months to 1 year in monthly bills, this puts you in a good position before buying a house.

If you are confident that your lifestyle and financial outlook align with your homeownership 目标s, 那么是时候开始寻找新家了, 你准备好了!