Category: First Time Home Buyers

First Time Home Buyer: How I Plan to Make a Return on My Investment (Part One)



April 30, 2012Last blog we talked about personal motivations for buying a home, is it because you want a piece of land and a place to call your own (and I do believe that is part of human nature), or completely monetary- you want to buy real estate to make money. For many of us, the motivation is a blend of the two.  It was for me.  Growing up, my family moved several times- sometimes because of a change in...

Confessions of a First Time Home Buyer: Keeping up with The Joneses



December 3, 2010I never saw myself as the type of person that would feel the pressure to “Keep Up with the Joneses.”  I thought, why would I ever care if someone’s yard looked nicer than ours, or if they had curtains instead of blankets draped over their windows. (I assure you, if you’ve got the right blanket, it can effectively and even somewhat attractively serve the same purpose as a curtain.  I’m...

Thanksgiving Special, to Home Owners Everywhere, Part 2



November 26, 2010When we arrived, we bumped into Home Depot Santa Clause.  We told him that we were looking to buy a nail gun to complete our project, and he took us to the right place.  He showed us the different air compressor options (air compressor???!!! Yikes, can’t I just use some Double A batteries for this thing??)  And he very frankly, without making any judgments of our ignorance, or trying to make...

Thanksgiving Special, to Home Owners Everywhere Part One



November 24, 2010A few weekends ago my husband and I decided to finish The Molding.  The Molding is a home improvement project that we started a good 3 months ago.  When we decided to redo the kitchen floor, which we finished in about 3 days, we did not realize that redoing the kitchen floor would also require redoing the molding.  So, The Molding is that little bonus project that I am learning is a part of...

Home Buying Basics: Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval



November 15, 2010What is pre-qualification? Pre-qualification is the first step towards securing a loan.  Typically, the pre-qualification process is a phone interview with a lender, but some lenders allow you to submit information online.  The lender is gathering information about your financial status to make a tentative decision about whether or not they will loan you money.  They will ask about your...

Confessions of a First Time Home Buyer



October 27, 2010I have experienced two surprise benefits of home ownership in the 4 months since we became owners .  The first:  I no longer have a Property Manager.  The second:  I am becoming handier and handier. Good Bye Scrooge, Hello Better Business Bureau. When weighing the pros and the cons of Renting versus Buying, our loving consultants (friends, family, neighbors, exclusive buyer’s agents)...

First Time Home Buyers Tip: Optimize Your Credit



October 11, 2010In the process of getting ready to buy, it is very important to do some soul searching to determine what you are looking for in a home, if renting or owning is better for you, and the time frame you intend to live in your house. For many of us, what we are looking for in a home is largely determined by our budget.  Or, maybe for all of us ;)  Yes, I’d love a brand new home with walk in...