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The question for most might not be “Do I want to own a home?” but instead, “Am I ready to own a home?” While you may feel unsure, there are a few important factors that can help you decide if you are ready to buy a home, and can help you feel more confident that you are on the right track to homeownership!
You are saving your money. While this may seem like an obvious sign, it’s one of the most important when making a big financial decision like buying a new home. If you are saving your money and have some set aside, then you are a step closer to saving for a down payment on a new home and being more financially secure to own.
Check out Lennar’s guide to saving for a down payment, so you can be one step closer to owning the home of your dreams.
While you might not have a perfect credit score, that doesn’t mean that you aren’t ready to buy a new home. If you are constantly taking steps to improve your credit score, you will see the effects that it will have sooner than you may think. Simple things such as paying your bills on time and keeping your balances low, can help improve your credit score dramatically.
You can always find professionals to help you improve your credit score, and help you become one step closer to owning a new home. The Home Buyer Solutions Group, part of Universal American Mortgage Company, offers a financial education program and will work closely with you to help improve your finances and credit.
You have a long-term plan. While you don’t necessarily need to have your whole future figured out to buy a home, you should have a general idea of where you would like live for a while, and a plan that you want to stick to. If you have a long-term plan, then you can feel more confident about your home buying decision knowing that you plan to stay in your new home for a long period of time.
Your family is growing, but your current apartment or home isn’t getting any bigger. While you can always renovate, decorate, and rearrange furniture, it’s not very likely you can make the home you’re living in now any bigger or help with the size of the space. Whether you have a growing family or you simply need more space to live, this is a good sign that you’re ready to move onto a bigger home to fit your lifestyle.
Knowing how much you can afford isn’t always a simple answer. It’s easy to over estimate on your budget, especially when you add on all of the items on your wish list. You might end up raising your budget more than you should without even realizing it. You have to consider and budget for additional expenses when buying a home beyond just the monthly mortgages.
Use an affordability or mortgage calculator that takes into consideration additional monthly bills and other debt you may be currently paying off such as student or auto loans.
If you know how much you can afford, and have done all the calculations, then you should consider yourself one step closer to buying a home! While a lot goes into the preparation of buying a home, it is well worth it to consider all of the factors with such a big financial decision. You won’t regret being prepared and confident when purchasing your new home!
Check out the resources below to help you on your home buying journey!
Understanding your credit score
Stop by and take a tour of one of Lennar’s most exciting new home communities in Naples, FL., Treviso Bay. This community boasts Mediterranean charm surrounded by the best of Naples. Located in the heart of Naples, Lennar is now offering both two- and four-story condominiums and coach homes for sale. Just five to six miles from downtown, residents are in close proximity to entertainment, culture, and a myriad of restaurants and boutique shops abound in this coastal community.
These homes start in the $200,000s to the high $300,000s, offering an affordable price for homebuyers. Terrace and Veranda Condos, Coach, Executive, Manor and Estate Homes are the types of homes you will find located in Treviso Bay. Whether you are looking for a new place to call home or a vacation home destination, this community provides a great variety of floor plans to choose from.
This community offers activities for all ages to enjoy. Spend your days at the Clubhouse enjoying your time in the stunning resort-style pool or relax along side the pool in beachside hammocks to fully enjoy your new community paradise. Stay active with the tennis courts located at the clubhouse or enjoy classes offered at the aerobics studio. If you’re a golf lover, you will really appreciate Treviso Bay’s unique Tournament Players Club status. Designed by an award-winning course architect, it is perfect course to test golfers’ skills at any level. No matter what your interest, you’ll be sure to find an activity that you will enjoy here at Treviso Bay.
Thanks to Lennar’s Everything’s Included® program, homes in Treviso Bay provides upgrades and luxury features to homebuyers at no additional cost. Lennar homeowners can enjoy top-notch features such as stainless steel appliances, tiled flooring, granite kitchen countertops, smart home door locks, and so much more!
Treviso Bay’s Welcome Home center is located at 9004 Tamiami Trail East. For more information on this community, visit http://www.lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers/naples/treviso-bay/classic-homes.
For more information on new homes in the Naples/Ft. Meyers area, visit http://www.lennar.com/new-homes/florida/naples-ft-myers
With hundreds of communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders and proudly remains steadfast in their commitment toward quality, value and integrity. Lennar has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country.
New MillBridge Community includes upgraded features and finishes
Lennar, one of the Charlotte area’s leading homebuilders, is pleased to announce a new living option for first time homebuyers in Waxhaw. The company will unveil its MillBridge community this month featuring dynamic three- to four-bedroom homes starting at $274,990.
“One of our missions is to lead the attainable housing movement in Waxhaw and we can’t think of a better place than MillBridge for families, couples and first time homebuyers,” shares President of Lennar’s Charlotte Division Jon Hardy.
With more than 270 homes planned, MillBridge layouts vary in size from 2,034 to 2,782 square feet and will provide either 2.5, 3 or 3.5 bathrooms. The collection offers Lennar’s Everything’s Included® program with enhanced finishes and features, such as granite countertops and Energy Star certified appliances, which are typically added as upgrades.
“We expect that the addition of the Legends collection to Millbridge will pique homebuyers’ interest given that Waxhaw continues to be recognized as one of Charlotte’s top suburbs,” says Mike Scisciani, vice president of Charlotte operations at MillBridge. “The model home is absolutely stunning, especially with the included upgrades.”
The fully furnished model home, located at 4055 Oakmere Road, will be open for tours Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m and Sunday-Monday from 1p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please visit us online.
MillBridge is a 900-acre, master-planned community located in Waxhaw, NC. The Community features resort-style amenities, including a full coffee bar, three swimming pools, a movie theater, fitness center and covered basketball court, with more to come. MillBridge also boasts a full event calendar each month with activities from story time, to knitting night, as well as community events including Light Up MillBridge and the Fall Festival. Contact MillBridge at 704.834.3190 for information on upcoming events and real estate. For more information on MillBridge, visit millbridge-nc.com.
With 18 communities in the area’s most desirable locations, Lennar Charlotte has helped thousands of families, couples and individuals move into the next phase of their lives with a new home. Lennar Charlotte communities cater to a variety of lifestyles including urban, suburban and active adult. The division’s commitment to quality, value and integrity serves as an underlying foundation for all aspects of homebuilding. For more information about Lennar Charlotte, please visit www.lennar.com/charlotte or call a New Home consultant at 866.857.7947.
La Quinta, Calif. – October 2016 – The premier luxury community of Griffin Ranch by Lennar is now offering an exclusive PGA WEST Social membership with the purchase of a new Griffin Ranch home, plus a PGA West Golf membership with select homesites. In a community that embodies the idea of a desert oasis, a PGA WEST Social membership is the perfect complement to the lifestyle that Griffin Ranch has to offer.
“Residents at Griffin Ranch value the upscale lifestyle that has become a characteristic of the La Quinta area,” said Tara Conklin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Lennar Inland Empire. “Which is why we’ve matched our luxury homes with an exclusive PGA WEST Social membership, so that new residents can enjoy life at Griffin Ranch to the fullest from the moment they move-in.”
A PGA WEST Social membership offers access to an exclusive lifestyle. PGA WEST Social members will enjoy access to The Club’s social events and activities for the entire family. As a Social member, you and your family with unmarried children under the age of 25 can enjoy fine dining in all three of the PGA WEST Clubhouses. You’ll get access to great meals, gatherings and a social network.
Select homesites offer a PGA West Golf membership, which holds a $45,000 value! This membership gives you full access to the club’s amenities, which include six world-renowned golf courses, ten tennis courts, 16 pickleball courts, along with all the activities and planned events.
With two premier communities available a Griffin Ranch, Belmont and Pimlico, offering super spacious, sprawling ranch-style new homes for sale, it’s a great time to buy! These luxury homes are truly exceptional and feature stunning design details such as open courtyards, optional casitas, wraparound back verandas, libraries and so much more. Plus, these homes are set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Santa Rosa Mountain Range.
Come visit and see our move-in ready homes at the Belmont at Griffin Ranch community, priced from the low $800,000’s and ranging in size from approximately 2,967 to 3,771 square feet. Pimlico offers single-story ranging in size from approximately 4,525 to 4,882 square feet.
To view floorplans or more information on these communities, visit us online or call (888) 203-9186.
With hundreds of communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders and proudly remains steadfast in their commitment toward quality, value and integrity. Lennar has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country.
Henderson, Nev. – October 2016 – Lennar Las Vegas is now offering special incentives on quick move-in homes at their Heritage at Cadence community, as part of their Year End Savings event. Prospective buyers are encouraged to act quickly to take advantage of seller paid closing costs of $6,000 or more as homes must be purchased by November 15 and close by November 30 to qualify.* Purchase now and move-in to celebrate the holidays in your brand new home!
“Our Heritage community offers fantastic new homes and a lifestyle geared towards active adults aged 55 and better,” said Brian Bell, Lennar New Home Consultant. “Not only are we opening the brand-new, state-of-the-art recreation center, but we’ve also hired a lifestyle director who will manage and curate resident health, wellness and social events.”
The new recreation center boasts 22,713 square feet of space that includes top notch amenities for Heritage residents only. Among these are an indoor pool, outdoor pool, barbecue areas, bocce and pickle ball courts, learning kitchen, café, ballroom, locker rooms, full gym with a movement room for fitness classes, billiards tables, poker tables and much more! With Heritage’s new lifestyle director, who will work to curate health, wellness and social events, maintaining an active lifestyle will be easy.
Heritage at Cadence represents a unique opportunity to own new in the only guard-gated or age-qualified community in Cadence specifically designed for individuals aged 55 and better. There are four villas within Heritage: Duets, Symphony, Encore and Duets, each of which that offer a variety of floorplans and home designs. Homes range in size between approximately 1,800 to 3,200 square feet of living space and include two of Lennar’s innovative and wildly popular The Home Within A Home® floorplans.
Interested buyers who act right now, may receive special financing through Lennar’s preferred lender, Universal American Mortgage Company (UAMC), including incredibly low conventional loans of 3.375 percent (3.363 percent APR.)**
For more information on this community, visit www.lennar.com/lasvegas.
With hundreds of communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders and proudly remains steadfast in their commitment toward quality, value and integrity. Lennar has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country.
*† Offer available on select homes if buyer signs and delivers a purchase agreement between 10/19/16 and 11/15/16 and closes and fully funds on or before 11/30/16. Purchase agreements signed and delivered prior to 10/19/16 are excluded. *Seller will pay 3% closing costs as defined on your Loan Estimate, excluding prepaids, subject to seller contribution limits. Offer available only to qualified buyers financing through Universal American Mortgage Company and closing at designated closing agent. Offer good for a limited time only. Lennar reserves the right to change or withdraw any offer at any time. † Limited funds are available; this offer may change upon exhaustion of funds. Rates may change or not be available at the time of loan commitment, lock-in or closing if funds are exhausted. Not an offer to enter into an interest rate or discount point agreement and any such agreement may only be done in writing signed by both the borrower and the lender. Specific terms apply and buyer is subject to qualification that includes, but is not limited to, a minimum of 10% downpayment, minimum credit score of 720, owner occupancy requirements and/or any changes in investor guidelines or programs. Offer available through Universal American Mortgage Company of California and closing at designated closing agent. Lennar Homes, LLC (“Lennar”) and Universal American Mortgage Company, LLC (“UAMC”) have business relationships with each other. Lennar and UAMC are, directly or indirectly, wholly owned by Lennar Corporation. You are NOT required to use UAMC as a condition for purchase of a Lennar home or a home from any of Lennar’s affiliated homebuilders. You are free to shop around to determine that you are receiving the best services and the best rate for these services. For additional information please visit their websites at www.uamc.com and www.Lennar.com. UAMC’s loan process is a voluntary program and participation is not required in order to purchase a home from Lennar Homes, LLC. Requesting a loan prequalification and making a loan application do not constitute a loan approval or otherwise indicate that a consumer has or will qualify for a loan from UAMC or any other lender. Financing is not guaranteed and not all consumers will qualify to purchase a Lennar home. Universal American Mortgage Company, LLC – NMLS # 1058, Mortgage Broker License # 1055, 2490 Paseo Verde Parkway, Suite 120, Henderson, NV 89074 (702) 868-3952. Greystone Nevada, LLC, NV Contractors License #0048844 and U.S. Home Corporation dba Lennar, NV Contractors License #0050808. Lennar Sales Corp. — Broker. Equal Housing Lender. Equal Housing Opportunity. 10/16
Lennar began selling new homes in their first Kingsburg community, Viking Pointe, a few months ago and has since seen lots of interest from homebuyers in the area. With homes selling quickly, interested buyers are encouraged to act fast! Prospective buyers should call (559) 994-6567 to make an appointment with a New Home Consultant, today!
“We are thrilled at how the Kingsburg community has responded to Lennar and our Viking Pointe community,” said Susan Wilke, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Lennar Central Valley. “We are proud to offer some of our most popular floorplans, including one The Home Within a Home® plan, and cutting-edge smart home technology features as standard.”
Viking Pointe offers three distinctive floorplans from Lennar’s popular Cambridge Collection and each includes a functional design with smart home and green technology features. The Lexington, Radcliffe 2016, and Versatillion floorplans are available, offering prospective homebuyers a variety of home sizes and layouts to choose from, including one of Lennar’s The Home Within a Home® – The Home Within A Home® floorplans.
The Versatillion is our single-story The Home Within a Home® floorplan. This forward-thinking home design was intended to accommodate multigenerational and dual living situations by providing an attached private suite with its own separate entrance, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchenette. A door within the suite provides access to the main home in a way that allows for as much connection to or privacy from the main home as is desired. The Versatillion provides approximately 2,257 square feet of living space, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a two-bay garage.
Viking Pointe also offers two additional floorplans, the Lexington and the Radcliffe 2016. The Lexington is a single-story family home that provides approximately 2,148 square feet of living space with a sought-after three-bay garage and functional den off the entry. The Radcliffe 2016 is another single-story and provides approximately 2,000 square feet of space with an extra-large kitchen island and lanai-style master shower.
Viking Pointe is now selling at pre-model pricing and homes are selling fast. To take advantage of these savings and reserve the home of your dreams, get pre-qualified today! To learn more about these high-tech, energy-efficient homes and to make an appointment with our New Home Consultant, call us at (559) 994-6567.
For more information on new homes in the Fresno area, visit www.lennar.com/fresno.
With hundreds of communities nationwide and homes designed for first-time, move-up and luxury homebuyers, Lennar has grown to become one of the nation’s leading and most respected homebuilders and proudly remains steadfast in their commitment toward quality, value and integrity. Lennar has a longstanding history of building exceptional homes in only the most well planned and desirable locations throughout the country.
In a world where technology plays a major role in people’s lives, it’s important for homes to accommodate the latest electronic devices. Many Lennar homes even come with USB outlets in the kitchen and master bedroom.
All the computers, tablets, cell phones and other digital devices that make our lives easier also bring cyber security risks. With October being Cyber Security Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to take a look at your home’s online security and make sure you’re following safe internet practices. Here are four helpful guidelines to creating a cyber-secure home:
Online scammers have learned that the easiest way to trick someone into sharing personal information is to simply ask for it. Many people are fooled by a simple email or phone call from someone who claims to be a reputable company or someone they know. These misleading calls and emails often try to sell fake anti-virus software or gather account information to hack into personal profiles.
Be aware of these types of scams and to always do your research before responding to any messages that ask for personal information. One tip is to ask the caller or e-mailer for their contact information, which usually ends the exchange.
Your Wi-Fi router is the device that controls who can connect to your home’s wireless network. Make sure your Wi-Fi connection is password secured, and change the default password to something that is unique to you.
Keep track of all the devices that connect to your Wi-Fi, including computers, phones, TVs, gaming systems, and even less obvious things like your programmable A/C thermostat or a baby monitor
Make sure all of the devices that connect to your home’s Wi-Fi network require a pin or passcode for access. It’s a good idea to have two computers at home – one for parents and one for kids. If you’re sharing a device, set up separate accounts so that kids do not have administrative privileges.
Above all, make sure all of your devices have a firewall and anti-virus system installed, enabled and updated to the latest version. When upgrading to the latest device, make sure the old one is wiped of any personal information by running a secure reset.
It’s likely you have a number of online accounts with passwords to remember. Using the same password for each account may put you at greater risk of a cyber attack. Create different passwords for your various accounts and use phrases with multiple words, numbers and characters.
Keep track of your passwords with a password manager to securely store your account information in an encrypted database. A password manager is an application that stores and organizes a user’s passwords, and requires one master password to access all of the others. Many password managers are available online for free.
Often, the best defense against risks to your cyber security is simply common sense. Stay smart when online and don’t fall for any tricks hackers use via social media, emails or phone calls. For more tips and resources on internet safety, visit the the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website.
National Get Smart About Credit Day is a national campaign that helps raise awareness about the importance of credit to young people. It’s not only important for young people to become aware of credit and their financial goals, but it’s also beneficial for all ages to constantly learn ways to improve their credit score as it can play a big factor in many financial decisions. Take time to celebrate this day with these six credit myths shared by Farnoosh Torabi of Mint.
This is one of the most widely misreported details about credit scores I read about and hear from consumers. While some employers do ask for your permission to conduct a credit background check as part of the application process [and they must get your approval ahead of time], they’re only reviewing your credit history — not your credit score. The terms credit “report” and credit “score” sometimes get used interchangeably, as if they’re the same thing. They’re not!
I heard this fallacy in my young adult years and it continues to come up in conversations today. Some individuals – for example, a couple listeners of my podcast – have written in and said they’ve heard it’s better to carry a monthly balance on your credit card bill. They think it’s a way to increase your credit score. While it is true that you should “use” your credit card responsibly to establish strong credit, some mistakenly think that means you should “use” the card by “carrying a balance,” because that shows “activity.” The truth is that it’s best to pay off your card in full – and on time – each billing cycle. Otherwise, you end up paying interest. Carrying a balance can also negatively impact your credit score. Your debt to credit ratio is 30% of your credit score. The lower your debt level, the lower your ratio can be. And that is, ultimately, better for your score.
False and false. It is true that the longer your credit history is, the better it is for your credit score. But your age, on its own, is not what matters. Someone who’s 85 years old who just opened up his first credit card won’t necessarily have a higher score than someone who’s 30 years old with a ten year history of managing credit. In fact, the person with the decade-long credit history – all other factors equal – would presumably have the higher score. [The length of your credit history is equal to 15% of your credit score.] And it may be true that those with higher incomes can better afford to stay out of debt – which, in turn, keeps the credit score in good shape. But neither variable directly impacts your credit score.
[Read the full article here]
