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Category Archives: Home Buyers

Planning on Retiring in Your Albuquerque Dream Home? Read This First

If you’re well established in your career, you may already be thinking about retirement. If you’re nearing or have already reached it; we want to say congratulations! Retiring is an exciting part of life, one you’ve probably been looking forward to for a while.

Do you know where you’ll be retiring to? Ultimately, where you live out your retirement should complement the retirement lifestyle you want to have. Many retirees, as they advance in age, want to stay in their own home (instead of moving to an assisted living facility.)

This is called “aging in place.” It’s a wonderful option for homeowners who have the means to stay in their home. If you’d like to buy the perfect home to retire in, continue reading for some tips.

The Benefits to Aging in Place

In many cases, staying in your home as you age can be less expensive than moving to an assisted-living facility. Plus, you have the added comfort of being in the home you know. Your friends and community are still nearby to take an active part in your life.

If you’re planning on aging in place, here are four things to keep in mind as you search for your dream home.

Opt For a More Accessible Home

Single-story ranch style home.Whether it’s a cozy single-family home in an active adult community or a first-floor master bedroom in a ranch-style home, your retirement home should be easily accessible.

Explore your options by searching homes for sale in the Albuquerque area. There are a wide variety of housing options available here.

Keep Developing YourPlan

How thoroughly have you planned your retirement years? It’s not enough to make on plan and stick with it, you should evolve your plan as your situation changes.

If, you start to need more care as you age, your plan should change to reflect that.

Ensure Your Home is Safe

Living room with gray couch and blue pillows.Be sure the floors are easy to traverse, and free of clutter, and that everything is within easy reach in your dream home. Thoroughly check each room to be sure there aren’t any potential hazards.

As you get older, it’s also a good idea to install brighter outdoor lighting, secure handrails, and automatic hallway lights.

Work With an Experienced Realtor

When it comes to finding your dream “forever” home, you should work with a realtor who will prioritize your needs. Our mother-daughter team, The Feil Cabinet, is well experienced with buying and selling homes in Albuquerque for a variety of different people. Allow us to leverage our unique expertise to assist you in finding your dream home.

Get started today by searching for homes and looking at local neighborhoods. Please reach out to us if you have any questions, or simply need someone to chat with about your goals.

Why Getting Pre-Approved for a Mortgage is Crucial

So, you’ve decided to buy a home in the Albuquerque area. Congratulations! Investing in real estate is always a wise financial decision, and you’ve just chosen a wonderful area to invest in. Plus, buying your own home will bring you indescribably joy and security.

While the overall experience of buying a home is positive, searching for your dream home can be intimidating. You have to set a budget, determine what kind of features you need to have, schedule home tours, hire a realtor… and obtain a mortgage.

The majority of homebuyers use mortgages to purchase their home. There are different kinds of mortgages depending on your income and financial situation, but here’s the rundown.

A mortgage, quite simply, is a loan for the amount of money your home is worth. The amount of your loan depends on your credit report, annual income, and a whole host of other factors.

If you’re searching for a home in an area as competitive as Albuquerque, getting pre-approved for your mortgage is essential to buying the home of your dreams. Here’s why.

It Gives You a Competitive Edge

internet researchIf you’re pre-approved for a mortgage when you make an initial offer on a home, it lets the seller know that you’re serious. In competitive markets like Albuquerque, sellers often prefer pre-approved buyers.

Essentially, you’re given priority over other buyers. This means you’re more likely to buy the best home for you in a timely fashion.

It Helps Set Your Budget

Going through the pre-approval process with a lender is the ideal way to set your budget, because you’ll know firsthand how big of a loan you can get. To become pre-approved, you’ll sit down with a lending officer who will review your credit score, amount of debt, income level, and all other factors of your financial life.

Basically, the lender is reviewing your finances to determine if you can afford to buy the home. This includes monthly mortgage payments, which will vary depending on interest rates, as well as the big down payment.

Be Smart With Your Money

mortgage interest rateHowever, there are other things you should look atwhen deciding your budget. Take a hard look at your annual income, as well as your expenses. Try to determine how much money you’re comfortable spending per month on a mortgage payment. Our mortgage calculator can help with that.

You should also think about that down payment. Depending on what kind of mortgage you qualify for, which determine the down payment, you could be paying around 20% of your home’s value upfront.

When you sit down with a lender to become pre-approved, they can help you figure out what kind of mortgage is best for you.

Any Other Questions about Buying a Home?

Please reach out to us! We would love to sit down and talk with you about your mortgage pre-approval options, and your goals in real estate. Feel free to use any of our complimentary home-search tools and real estate resources.

If you ever have any questions about the home buying process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help.