Step By Step Guide To Buying Your First Home In Arlington

So, you're thinking about buying your first home in Arlington. Awesome!! Buying a home in Arlington is a big deal both literally and figuratively. It requires a serious amount of money and time. The journey can be exhausting and frustrating. But, don't worry here is a step by step process that can help you get the keys to your new home in Arlington.
Waverly HIlls real esate agents
Waverly Hills is near Glebewood and Charrydale in Arlington VA
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What are the steps of buying a home?

It's a waste of time and energy to look at homes that are outside of the budget, so prequalification is the first step for any home buyer. If you choose to work with Nesbitt Realty here are many of the steps that we'll be taking on the road to home ownership.
Julie Nesbitt
Julie Nesbitt is an Accredited Buyer's Agent and Top Producing agent.  Put her experience to work for you.
  1. Tour properties --- We'll take a top level tour of some of the properties that are in your budget. This gives the client something concrete and real to think about so that you can decide whether this home ownership thing is for you or not. It also gives us a chance to see which properties most interest you so that we can rely upon our experience to identify communities and properties you may have overlooked.
  2. Revisiting --- We'll revisit those communities that hold the greatest interest and look at everything available in those communities.
    • A few more choices --- If none of these really feel right, we'll find a few more to consider and continue with the search.
  3. Make an offer --- When we've found the property that stirs the soul, fits the budget and feels right, your agent will prepare an offer. At that time we'll collect earnest money.
    • The earnest money is evidence that the seller is serious about the purchase and is held in escrow until the sale is completed. We'll submit a preapproval letter, a copy of the earnest money deposit and the signed offer for the seller to consider.
  4. Negotiations --- Sometimes there is a difference between the asking price and the selling price. The selling price is determined by negotiation. We'll pass drafts of the contract back and forth until the buyer and seller have agreed on all terms.
  5. Loan processing --- Your loan officer will then collect additional documentation from the you and from your agent. This documentation will serve the purpose of proving the representations made in the loan application process. The buyer will produce pay stubs, bank statements etc. The loan office and agent will also order an appraisal as required by all lenders.
  6. Settlement --- Settlement is the word used to describe the actual transfer of ownership. We'll settle on the property in a timely fashion on an agreed upon date. Settlement will occur at a title company's office and a settlement agent will ensure that funds are present as is marketable title.
  7. Ownership --- Here's where the fun begins ... as does the responsibility of home ownership.

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Choose Wisely

For most people in Northern Virginia, the most important investment you will ever make is probably the purchase of a home. Knowing the basics about home-buying will give you a head start and save you time and money in your search.  Additionally Nesbitt Realty can rebate THOUSANDS of dollars to clients who want to use our Realtor services. Reach out to Nesbitt Realty to learn more about  your options in {Location_Name}. [Read more about buying a home]

Who Is Gen Z?

Generation Z (Gen Z) includes people born between 1995 and 2010. In 2018, Generation Z already accounted for about 21 percent of the U.S. population—64 million people—and by 2020, this group is expected to outnumber millennials by nearly 1 million people, according to the U.S. Census! So, it’s no surprise that Generation Z is already impacting the housing market.  Though the majority of Gen Z’s members still live at home with their parents, they still have dreams of becoming homeowners. A National Association of REALTORS® study found that Gen Z wants to buy houses.  Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate found that 97 percent of Generation Z believe that they will own a home in the future, and 82 percent indicate that homeownership is the most important factor in achieving the American dream.

Will Your Home Appeal To Gen Z?

A Gen Z home buyer in {Location_Name} wants to work with an agent. When asked about whether or not they would work with a real estate professional when they purchase a home, Generation Z’s answer was a resounding yes. According to BGHRE, 81 percent of Gen Zers believe they will work with a real estate agent during the home purchase process. Even though they will most likely begin their search online, Gen Zers believe that it is important to have a professional at their side. Gen Z is connected. Gen Z was born into a connected, internet-ready era, and they don’t remember a time before smartphones, apps, and social media. Gen Z is mobile-first and expects brands to be as well. Its members keep close-knit social media circles, and 73 percent say texting or chatting is their primary mobile activity, according to a report from the IBM Institute for Business Value. Gen Z wants to live near work. The oldest members of Generation Z choose proximity to work over living in the most desirable neighborhoods. According to the National Apartment Association, they may also seek out co-working spaces or maker’s rooms, as this generation is coming of age in the gig economy where entrepreneurship is high.

We Know Our Market

We take the time to learn who is buying homes in {Location_Name} like yours because we want to make sure that we know the most effective way to reach the individual who will end up buying your home. Talk to me about our marketing plan and what we can do to make your home appeal to the generation that is likely to buy your home.
Chооѕіng the right company tо аѕѕіѕt уоu wіth its knоwlеdgе оf рrоfеѕѕіоnаl рrореrtу mаnаgеmеnt ѕеrvісеѕ will mаkе thе dіffеrеnсе between hаvіng рrореrtу thаt is successfully mаnаgеd and hаvіng a disaster оn уоur hands. Picking аn еxреrіеnсеd аnd rеlіаblе соmраnу tо dеаl wіth уоur рrореrtу management is essential fоr business. A company that's bееn іn ореrаtіоn for years and hаѕ a ѕоlіd rеlіаblе ѕtаndіng wіll lеаd уоu іn the right dіrесtіоn. Chооѕіng the right соmраnу to hаndlе your рrореrtу wіth thе utmоѕt professionalism and responsibility mау nоt аlwауѕ bе easy ѕо be ѕurе tо choose a соmраnу with bоth еxреrіеnсе аnd a thorough undеrѕtаndіng of уоur nееdѕ. Thіѕ is a ѕеrіоuѕ buѕіnеѕѕ ѕо bе ѕurе tо pick thе property management соmраnу wіth thе best еxреrіеnсе thаt can fully undеrѕtаnd every оnе оf your nееdѕ and tаkе care of уоur рrореrtу. Learn more about our property management services We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to serve your real estate needs.

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Renting is a good way to get some firsthand experience with a neighborhood. Renting can let you sign a 1 year lease, say in a Shirlington 2 bedroom condo for example, with the option to continue, if you like the neighborhood. An advantage of this is you can test the waters, to see if you really love the features of this neighborhood or not. If you don’t like where you’re at, say for example, if the 4 bedroom, 2 story home in Lorton is not your style, you can always relocate to another place.

Pay as You Go

Many Americans live pay check to pay check. Upfront, you will have a security deposit, with a rate that depends on your credit score. If you have a good credit score, your property manager might only charge 1 months’ rent, for a security deposit. On the other hand, if you have a poor credit score, your property manager might charge 2 months’ rent, for a security deposit. After this initial fee (which can be refunded if you meet the requirements like passing the move out inspection), it’s nice to know that after a chunk of your paycheck is put into your monthly rent, there’s a good portion left for bills, necessities, and fun expenditures, like neighborhood nightlife or personal hobbies.

Short Term Commitment & Little Investment

Not sure if you want to stay in Northern Virginia, as a Washington DC commuting, GS-5? Do you have plans of living in California and seeing Napa Valley, Los Angeles, and San Francisco firsthand? Are you Active duty military, with upcoming orders for a new assignment, with no interest in the responsibility of becoming a homeowner? If so, these questions might make you lean towards renting, as opposed to buying. It’s nice to know that as a renter, you won’t have to worry about footing the bill for a repair on a roof that is falling apart, paying a monthly a condo fee (that could range anywhere from $150-$700), or paying the bill for a lawn service to pick up the leaves from your $1,000,000 Mount Vernon home, in fall. Overall, renting can be cheaper up front, but it isn’t for everyone. Also, who says you can't just buy later?

Build Your Credit While You Sock Away Savings for a Down Payment

Paying your bills on time is an excellent way to build your credit score, and to show lenders that you know how to manage your money. If you are frugal, you can take a chip off each pay check, to build up a savings for buying a home in the future. The return on applying your savings to the purchase of the home of your dreams can be exponential. For those with an eye on the future, being a responsible tenant can prepare you financially and teach you the accountability necessary for home ownership.

Roommates

Spending time with friends can make for priceless memories. Living together can be fun and slightly cheaper than going solo. The process of getting a group of friends together to rent out a property can be a very rewarding and challenging process. A Nesbitt Realty Realtor, like Stuart Nesbitt, can help make the later stages of finding and renting a property simple. There are many different neighborhoods in Northern Virginia to choose from, that can fit your specific needs (such as being metro accessible, having a main street, Being near a good school, being luxurious, being a certain type of building style [e.g. high-rise or garden style, for example] ,being affordable, or even being off the beaten path).    

703 765 0300

 

How FHA is Helping Buyers Obtain Condo Financing

First-time buyers are hurting. It’s hard for them to save for a down payment, credit restrictions remain tight, and there are few affordable homes for them to choose from. What’s more, wage gains are modest, home prices keep going up, and now interest rates could be heading up, too. The Federal Reserve has sent signals that it could start raising short-term interest rates as early as this month and more rate hikes could happen throughout 2016. VRE 35And yet there’s some good news, too, because FHA has announced changes to its rules to make it easier for buyers to get federally insured financing for condominiums. This is important because condos have traditionally been one of the best ways for new home owners to get into home ownership. Under administrative changes FHA has announced, second homes are no longer considered “investment property” for purposes of determining the owner-occupancy ratio of a condominium project. Prior to the change, if someone who owns a unit in a condo project uses the unit as a second home, that unit doesn’t count as part of the project’s 50-percent owner-occupancy threshold, which FHA requires. Under that rule, if fewer than half the units are owner occupied, someone who wants to buy a unit in the project can’t get FHA-backed financing. That hurts if FHA is the only viable financing option. But the FHA change has wider implications than that because it sends a signal to conventional and other mortgage financing sources that it might be time for them to rethink their owner-occupancy ratios as well. FHA announced two other changes: a streamlined recertification process, and an expansion of the types of insurance condo owner associations can have for their project to be eligible for FHA financing. These three changes are key because they address one part of condo financing that has nothing to do with the creditworthiness of the borrower: they address the hoops the condo project has to go through before FHA will permit a borrower to apply for its mortgage insurance. It’ll be helpful to watch how things change in the months ahead to see if the eased requirements lead to more households obtaining FHA financing for condo purchases. But for now, REALTORS® can take satisfaction in knowing FHA responded to concerns NAR had been raising for the last three years. And more changes are in the works, according to the agency. Details are in the video above. The FHA announcement is one of the stories in The Voice for Real Estate for the week of November 23, 2015. Another segment looks at NAR’s new member benefit for keeping REALTORS® integral to real estate as transactions increasingly go digital. Under the benefit, REALTORS® get free access to two products from zipLogix®: its forms software program and its transaction management platform

5 Common First Time Home Buyer Mistakes

A Single family house at 5428 Grist Mill Woods Way Alexandria VA 22309
Grist Mill Woods is in Alexandria 22309
1. Decide what you can afford. Generally, you can afford a home equal in value to between two and three times your gross income. 2. Develop your home wish list. Then, prioritize the features on your list. 3. Select where you want to live. Compile a list of three or four neighborhoods you'd like to live in, taking into account items such as schools, recreational facilities, area expansion plans, and safety. 4. Start saving.Do you have enough money saved to qualify for a mortgage and cover your down payment? Ideally, you should have 20 percent of the purchase price saved as a down payment. Also, don't forget to factor in closing costs. Closing costs --- including taxes, attorney's fee, and transfer fees --- average between 2 and 7 percent of the home price. 5. Get your credit in order.Obtain a copy of your credit report to make sure it is accurate and to correct any errors immediately. A credit report provides a history of your credit, bad debts, and any late payments. 6. Determine your mortgage qualifications.How large of mortgage do you qualify for? Also, explore different loan options --- such as 30-year or 15-year fixed mortgages or ARMs --- and decide what's best for you.
Condos at 2001 15th St N #615 Arlington VA 22201
Odyssey is in Arlington 22201
7. Get preapproved. Organize all the documentation a lender will need to preapprove you for a loan. You might need W-2 forms, copies of at least one pay stub, account numbers, and copies of two to four months of bank or credit union statements. 8. Weigh other sources of help with a down payment. Do you qualify for any special mortgage or down payment assistance programs? Check with your state and local government on down payment assistance programs for first-time buyers. Or, if you have an IRA account, you can use the money you've saved to buy your fist home without paying a penalty for early withdrawal. 9. Calculate the costs of home ownership. This should include property taxes, insurance, maintenance and utilities, and association fees, if applicable. 10. Contact a REALTOR®. Find an experienced REALTOR® who can help guide you through the process. For more information or to set up an appointment call Julie at (703)765-0300.

Mistake 1: Disregarding what you can afford.

Budgeting isn’t easy, but the fact is, if home buyers don’t set a budget for what they can afford for a house, things can go terribly wrong. The recent subprime mortgage crisis is a perfect example. Banks may say home-buying hopefuls can afford an amount they actually cannot afford.  Budgeting is one way to ensure you don’t get trapped by knowing what you can and cannot afford to remain financially comfortable. Create a budget that includes your major expenses. Examples of major expenses could be student loan payments, transportation costs (gas, car payments, etc.), credit card bills, cable bills and telephone bills. Also be sure to include expenses that come only once a year, like holiday bills or taxes. Add all this together and subtract it from what your earnings — the result is what you can afford on a house.Home buyers who skip this step could end up either badly wanting something they can’t afford and/or putting themselves at risk financially. Mistake 2: Skipping Mortgage Qualifications.