Power in the Pre-Qual…

Is 2013 the year you make the leap to homeownership?  Before you start looking, it is important that you consult with a mortgage professional as soon as possible!  Check out this video by Don Shanley with the Shanley Team at Inlanta Mortgage “What to Expect if you are a First Time Homebuyer” and visit my website to complete the application (click here)…it’s that simple!

Why do I recommend working with Don Shanley and his team of experts?  Simple…they are as Client Service driven as I am.  I had a previous client interested in purchasing a home, they emailed me on SUNDAY morning that they had completed the application, by 2:00 p.m. SUNDAY afternoon, they had been contacted and their situation discussed and they knew exactly what they needed to do to qualify to purchase a home by 2014…that is CLIENT SERVICE.  Click here to be introduced to the team at Inlanta Mortgage.

So back to Pre-Qualifying…this will tell you how much of a loan you can qualify for and the monthly payment amount you are able to afford, this gives you the first number, the second number is how much you want to spend.   Why are these numbers different?  They aren’t for everyone, but reality is that when I bought my home 6 years ago, I qualified for a mortgage of $190,000!  As a single woman, the idea of spending that much on a home meant no vacations, no dinners out, well you get the idea…I decided that I wanted to spend $125,000 and ended up purchasing at $123,000.  The pre-qualification process outlines your finances – your debt, income, employment, and cash available for down payment, among other things. It’s quick and basic.

Working with a Realtor (that would be me!) and with your pre-qualification letter in hand, the advantages are yours once you find the house you want to make your next home.  Your pre-qualification will make your offer look even better to the seller, they don’t have to worry that they are wasting their time, they will know that you are ready to buy their home!

Are you ready?  Just want to see what properties are available?  You can search on my website for homes, just click here to get started!

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Vicki Reed

Wish # 6

Halfway there!  My sixth wish (goes along with Wish # 5) is that we as individuals work to reduce our debt on a path to eliminating it.  Our society is screwed from top to bottom because of debt. Quit using it, pay it off, and live on cash. It will make your life a lot easier and you will breathe easier because you will be free, personal debt is sufficating and our national debt mounts daily.  We as individuals should set an example for those we vote to run our country.

There are a lot of programs available, the most popular being Dave Ramsey (click here for his website), type “living on a cash basis” into your Google search and there are over 5 million results of books, blogs, news articles, magazines and online tools to help you get started.

As a Realtor, I no longer receive that twice monthly paycheck that made budgeting and life in general so much easier and struggle with making those monthly payments on credit cards I used freely in my past.  I have found that unless I have the cash, I no longer purchase anything – I look around my home and realize I have absolutely everything I could ever need…

Do you think you could live a cash based lifestyle?  Share your thoughts with me!

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# 3 on the 10 most affordable cities for homebuying list!

According to CNN Money, Indianapolis ranks # 3 in the 10 most affordable cities for homebuyers (click here for the whole list)…here’s what they have to say about us:

Median income: $62,600
% of homes sold that are “affordable”*: 92.6%

The capital of Indiana is an important auto industry supplier, with transmissions, starters, gaskets and other parts still manufactured here.

As the auto industry has revived, so has the local economy. The city also has benefited from having diverse industries: Pharmaceutical makers (Eli Lilly), financial services firms (Conseco), the state government, and communications companies (Brightpoint) are all major employers. And the job market is improving: Unemployment fell in September to 6.4%, 1.5 percentage points below the national rate of 7.9%.

That’s great news for job seekers, but home buyers may not be quite as happy. A few years ago, Indianapolis regularly led the affordability index; it’s since slipped a couple notches. Still, Indianapolis is the largest metro area of the 10 most affordable cities.

Ready to buy or sell?  Let me help!  Click here for my website and let’s get started!