Kelsey's Real Estate Tips and Tricks

Buying a home: Step 2 – Choose a location So in my last post, I mentioned that it was important to understand your means before you choose a location. You might be asking yourself, "why?" Well, it's simple really: some locations are more affordable than others. Until you know what you can really afford, you don't know if it's even possible to buy a house that's, let's say... 10 minutes from the city.  There will always have to be a balance, a compromise, between your wish list and location. Even if location is your number one priority, it is still important to understand what you can afford and what that will buy you in your dream location. There's no point in falling in love with a 4 bed, 3 bath, single family home in Arlington, VA when  your budget will only get you a 2 bedroom condo in that location. Then the question becomes: do you buy the condo to be in your dream location, or do you move out from the city a bit to get more of what you...

Buying a home can be very scary, especially if it’s your first time. That can be true for anything new you try! As with anything new, it’s important that you understand the process and plan ahead. The first step in the process of buying a home (whether it’s your first home or your tenth!) is to understand your means. It’s very important to talk to a mortgage broker to understand a) IF you qualify to buy a home and b) what amount of money you qualify to borrow. However, just because you qualify for a certain amount, doesn’t mean you can actually afford the monthly payments! It all depends on your lifestyle. Do you like to travel? Do you go out to eat a lot? Are you a fashion fanatic? All of these things and more will impact how much you can afford when buying a home, unless you want to change your lifestyle completely. And who wants that? No one wants to be house-poor… right? When talking to your lender, make sure to as...