3 easy steps to buying a new home

December 9, 2016

Embarking on the journey to homeownership may seem like an intimidating process, but it doesn’t have to be. By doing your research beforehand and following every step in a well-thought out and organized manner, you’ll be saying “Hello new home!” before you know it.

Set your budget. An easy place to start is with the UAMC online mortgage calculator to figure out how much home you can afford. For a more accurate figure, you can get pre-qualified with our preferred lender who will help you take a closer look at your income, debt and credit to help you find a loan you can handle. Generally, people aim for a home that costs about two-and-a-half times their annual salary. However, other factors such as credit card debt, student loans or other financial obligations can definitely come into play.

Figure out your financing. Once you’ve discovered how much home you can afford and found the perfect home that meets your needs within your price range, it’s time to figure out what type of loan you need. There are different loan options to consider with the most common being the adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). In a fixed-rate mortgage your interest rate never changes. With ARMs, the interest rate adjusts periodically during the life of the loan. You can use a calculator to adjust how different rates will affect your monthly payments and be sure to consider PITI — principal, interest, tax and insurance.

Search for a new home. There are many things to consider when looking for your new Lennar home. You’ll want to consider variables such as what type of community is right for you based on location to work and what schools fall in which school district. What type of floorplan do you need to accommodate your family, is it going to grow anytime soon? You’ll also want to consider what features matter to you in a new home. These and many other questions will arise in the search for your new home. Luckily, with Lennar’s Everything’s Included package you’ll get all the features you want and need in a new home, at no extra cost. With multiple new Lennar communities throughout Southern California, the perfect home for you is within reach.