Home Buying

Your home purchase is one of the largest financial investments you'll make in life! Choosing the RIGHT ONE is very important financially & emotionally. A house is not a home until you walk through the door, can feel the warmth/positive energy & envision yourself living there while your dreams manifest. So when choosing a property to call home, it should meet all of your requirements & priorities along with many, if not all, of your desires.

Below is some helpful information about the home-buying process & actions you should take before starting the search for a home:

Determine How Much You Can Afford
 

How much house you can afford is largely dependent on your debt-to-income ratio, which is the total monthly debt compared to your monthly income. Other determining factors are your credit scores & interest rates. Once your lender has looked at all of your information, they can determine the amount you can afford each month for housing  & the amount that will be loaned for the purchase. You can also use the mortgage calculator at the bottom of this page to get an estimate of how much your monthly payments will be based on the purchase price, interest rate, taxes & insurance.
 

Remember, owning a home involves more than a monthly mortgage. You’ll also have to consider repairs & maintenance or in some subdivisions or condos/townhouses, HOA dues. Most times your homeowner’s insurance & property taxes will be paid by the lender annually from your escrow account. This escrow account is funded by amounts based on the total of your insurance & taxes which are included with your monthly payment to the lender. This money is held in an account from which your insurance & taxes are paid, referred to as the escrow account.

You should also consider your lifestyle & if you desire to make any lifestyle changes. Calculate how much you normally spend monthly on entertainment, eating out, travel, clothing, health & beauty, etc. This should be deducted from your monthly income to determine the amount that you are comfortable paying monthly for housing. The amount that you are comfortable paying each month will most times be less than the amount for which you qualify. 

Do You Have Enough Saved for the Down Payment and Closing Costs?

Your down payment can vary based on the amount of the home & the type of loan. You must consult a lender & are pre-qualified before your home search. Your lender can determine how much you can pay for a home along with the best estimate for closing costs & the down payment amount. Of course, the down payment & closing costs are dependent on the purchase price of the home.

Shop for a Home
 

House hunting can be exciting! To search easier & faster, during your consultation we will help you to determine your requirements, desires & priorities for a home. We will also equip you with enough information & tools for you to make educated decisions for the home you desire. 

If you have children or are planning to have children, the schools and programs offered by the school district are important. Click the 'Resource' button to go to our Resources Page to research each school and school district within the State of Texas. The school report card (SRC) combines accountability ratings, data from the Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR), and financial information to give a broad view of campus performance. Available for each campus in Texas, the SRC is intended specifically to inform parents and guardians about a school’s characteristics and academic performance. 

It is also important to know the crime data and crime rates for the neighborhoods for which you are interested in purchasing. This information can also be found on our Resources Page.

Our goal is to make your dream of homeownership become a reality!