Lehigh Valley realtor? Placed in the top 1% of Berkshire Hathaway agents nationwide, Rebecca L. Decker Francis and her team specialize in the Lehigh Valley luxury home market. Mixing their professional marketing expertise, business acumen and extensive links both locally and abroad, Rebecca and her team can help buyers and sellers alike achieve their goals. Whether buying or selling a fine home, their access to the latest technologies and market research, along with their ability to network with other top luxury agents will benefit clients and enhance their buying or selling experience. Discover even more info on read more.
This is where the groundwork is laid for the search for your new home. There are several points you should cover in your initial consultation. For example: Define your needs; the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, size of the kitchen, where you want to live, your price range, timeline, etc. Determine when and how often you can look at prospective homes. Verify your contact information and how you want to be contacted (email, phone, etc.) Ask your agent about financing. They can explain the different types of available loan programs, and refer you to lenders that can answer specific questions. Review the paperwork. While not necessary at this point, reviewing paperwork will allow you the advantage to ask questions about documents before it’s time to sign them.
You might hear the word “budget” and cringe a little, but you shouldn’t. Budgeting is not hard, and it doesn’t mean you have to stop doing things you enjoy. Budgeting is simply creating a plan for your money so you have a better idea of where it’s going every month. A popular and effective way to budget is with the 50/30/20 rule. How it works is 50% of your income goes towards the necessities (bills, food, housing, etc.), 20% of your income goes towards savings and the remaining 30% you can use for whatever you please. This is a nice and easy way to break down your paycheck, but you might need to adjust it a bit to fit your lifestyle. Mortgage: This one’s a tricky one, but mortgages are generally considered good debt. They are usually long-term loans with low interest rates, so you’ll still have money freed up for investments and such. The interest from mortgages is also tax deductible, so that’s a bonus. In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether purchasing a home is the right move, as the value of a house will not always rise as some people think. You’ll also have to add in the expenses of property tax, utilities, and home insurance.
There will be times when you have the opportunity to create more space through proper organization and utilizing it efficiently. There are also some homes that just won’t allow you to store much stuff because there is no attic or basement, and the storage closet outside is relatively small. Millennial attraction to homeownership has grown significantly in recent decades. Mostly because there are now options where a 20% down payment is not the requirement. This gives a much larger pool of buyers the ability to buy a home. Especially, first time home buyers who receive a lot of help!
If you’ve yet to enter the housing market, but are thinking of buying a home in 2022, there’s a lot you need to know. As I once pointed out, this isn’t your older sibling’s housing market. Not just anyone can get a mortgage these days. You actually have to qualify. But we’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s start by talking about home prices, which have soared in recent years. The good news is mortgage rates remain very low, and may even break new record lows this year, which can keep affordability within reach.
From the magic of the holiday season to food-centric celebrations, Lehigh Valley has a festival to fit all tastes. Mark your calendars for annual favorites including Blues Brews & Barbecue, Musikfest™, Lehigh Valley Pride, the Wheels of Time Hot Rod Jamboree, Great Allentown Fair, PA Bacon Fest, Christkindlmarkt, and more. On top of these large-scale festivals, you’ll find upwards of 50 events happening each weekend throughout the region, ensuring that there’s always fun to be had! Breathe in fresh air. Find even more information on rebeccafrancisteam.foxroach.com.