5 Pro Tips for Wannabe Homebuyers

This content originally appeared on Money Rehab, hosted by Nicole Lapin. Listen here.

If you’re caught up on your Money Rehab, you know that right now is… not an awesome time to buy a house. But if you are house-hunting like it’s your full time job (because honestly, house-hunting is), here are five things you can do to give yourself every advantage.

Look for an Assumable Mortgage

This is my new favorite housing hack… but it’s a bit of a treasure hunt. So, WTF is an assumable mortgage? Simply, an assumable mortgage is a type of mortgage where a buyer can take over an existing mortgage on the property. Which is great for the buyers because they essentially grandfather in a mortgage with an older, lower rate… but the buyer, of course, needs to also pay the seller the amount the seller has already paid, which they can do with cash or a second mortgage which will be at the current rate.

Now, I’ll be honest: assumable mortgages are the unicorns of real estate ownership. They’re pretty rare, and can be difficult to find. The best method for finding an assumable mortgage is to include “assumable” as a keyword search in Zillow, or whatever real estate marketplace you’re using. Or, if you’re working with a real estate expert - let them know this is something on your wishlist.

Get a Mortgage Broker

Navigating the loan application process is not funsies… and if you’re having trouble, a mortgage broker could be right for you (obviously check to make sure that person isn’t sketchy). When I was house-hunting, I used one who found the best deal for my needs, and the lender paid the commission.

In other words: many mortgage brokers are free to you - and whichever mortgage you end up putting a ring on, they pay your mortgage broker.

Cozy Up to Your State

If this is your first home-purchase-rodeo, your state will probably offer you perks. This varies state by state, but there are two popular programs for first-time homebuyers. One is a break on interest rates… which is the best kind of deal you can score in real estate land. The second is low down payment requirements - I’m talking very low. To the tune of 1-3% down. Now, just because you can put down a small down payment, doesn’t mean you should.

That means that you’re going to take out a mortgage that’s 97-99% of the price of the house… and I know, we make mortgages sound super sexy because it means you’re a homeowner and successfully adulting, but remember: a mortgage is debt. And a rose by any other name… is still freakin’ debt.

Spruce Up Your Credit Score

Your credit score is going to be hugely important in your home search. It will determine your mortgage rates… and if you get the house at all. So, now is the time to make sure your credit score is in tip-top shape by tackling any outstanding credit card debt. To do that, the first thing I would check is your utilization score. That is the fancy finance term to express how much of your credit line you’re using.

Your credit score will be happy if your utilization score is 30% or below - so, if you have a $5,000 max on your credit card, you shouldn’t be spending more than $1,500. I have a bunch of best-practices for glowing up your credit score that I’ve talked about on the show… I’ve linked my favorite episode in the show notes.

Don’t Save Your Down Payment… Invest It

If you’re buying a house, the tried and true recommendation is that you put down 20% of the home-price as a down payment. And when people hear that, often they’re like “That is so much money… how am I supposed to save that much?” My answer? Don’t save it - invest it. Say you want to buy a home in 5 years and need a $100,000 down payment.

If you planned on achieving that through savings, you’d need to put away $20,000 a year… that’s a lot of money to just squirrel away year by year. But if you took a one-time lump-sum of $20,000 and used an investing strategy to meet your down payment goal, based on historical performance of the stock market, you could achieve that $100,000 goal in five years by just contributing $12,000 every year.

I know $12,000 is still a lot… but the magic here is that when you invest, you create wealth… so you can reach your goal without every dime coming from your bank account.

Now, of course: nothing is guaranteed if you’re investing in the stock market. And if you have that dream of buying a home five years from now, and the stock market dips that year, you’ll need to push back your homeownership timeline. So what I’d recommend is a hybrid approach of growing your nest egg in a high-interest savings account and a smart investment portfolio. With a smart portfolio - you can manage risk and set yourself up for the best chance of success.

If you want some help making a portfolio, Magnifi - one of my favorite money apps - it’s an AI investing assistant, can help you make a portfolio specifically geared toward a down payment goal in five minutes or less. You can get started today at moneyassistant.com.

For today’s tip you can take it straight to the bank… There's no shame in the renting game. Seriously. I rent - loud and proud! You want your house to be an asset, not a liability. So if you find a property that you think is going to appreciate and you will make a return - awesome. But with these interest rates, you might be better off renting, taking that extra money and earning 8% in the market, instead of spending 8% on your mortgage.

Listen to the podcast episode here. Do it for your future badass retired self.

XO,
Nicole

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