First Time Home Buyer's Handbook - Keller Williams Realty

First Time Home Buyers

Handbook

Trisha Cornelius, Realtor?

Keller Williams Realty

630 Kenmoor SE, Suite 101

Grand Rapids MI 49546

Cell: 616-558-8927



Keller Williams Realty | Trisha Cornelius | 616.558.8927

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First Time Home Buyers Handbook

INDEX

Steps to buying a home at a glance

? Pre-approval

Make sure all your documents that your lender has asked for are turned in. Do not

apply for new charge cards, do not charge anything, keep paying bills on time, and

do not quit your job.

? Down Payment Assistance Programs

City of Grand Rapids, HOP program

? Choose an area where you would like to

live

Choose an area where you want to be ¨C this is the most important thing. Then find

a home within this area that fits your needs. Narrow down your search area as

much as you can.

? Choose a Realtor to act as your Buyers

Agent

Find an agent with whom you feel comfortable and who you feel like you can trust.

Out of this whole process you will spend the most time with your Realtor. A

buyer¡¯s agent does not cost you anything as the commission is paid by the Seller.

? Shop for homes

Take your time. Make a list of ¡°must have¡¯s¡±, ¡°would like to have¡±, and ¡°do not

want¡±. This list will help you and your Realtor. Your Realtor will be able to choose

homes that will suit your needs based on your list. This list may change a bit after

seeing some homes. Sometimes you do not know you wanted it until you see it!

? Types of homes

Bank owned home, otherwise known as a REO (real estate owned), foreclosures,

HUD homes, short sales, traditional, etc.

? Put an offer on a home

Your Realtor can help you with this. A CMA (also know as a comparative market

analysis) will assist in determining what you should offer on a home. Also the

offer will include any contingencies needed or dictated by the terms of the loan.

We¡¯ll discuss how to roll in closing cost and pre-paid¡¯s into your offer.

Keller Williams Realty, Trisha Cornelius 616-558-8927

First Time Home Buyers Handbook

? Home inspection

After an offer has been accepted you have about a week to get the home inspected

to educate you on the condition of the home. If there are dangerous or hazardous

items this can be addressed at this time. You may decline to buy the home based

on inspections and receive your good faith deposit back.

? Finalize the loan:

Once the lender gets the fully executed purchase agreement, the lender will have it

reviewed by the underwriter, and there may be more documents required or

additional questions you will need to answer. Get back to your lender ASAP, as

the closing will not occur until these requirements have been met. This is also

when the bank will send out an appraiser to assess the value of the home.

? Get home owners insurance

Probably one of the most important pieces of paper you will have. All loans will

require this to be taken care of prior to closing on the home. It may be paid at

closing, but you will not get the loan without it.

? The closing/title work

Title work is to be sure there are no ¡°clouds¡± on the title. It insures that you will

own this home free and clear of any liens. The HUD is also known as the closing

statement. When you show up for closing make sure you have your photo I.D.

(state issued) and if any money is owed at closing, it needs to be in the form of a

money order or certified check made payable to the title company.

Pre-approval

Here is a list of the documents you will need for the pre-approval process:

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Valid form of Identification ¨C State Authorized

2 Pay Stubs (Last 2 most recent showing YTD earnings)

Bank Statements (2 full months)

Asset Statements (ALL pages) - i.e. 401K, investments, etc.

Bankruptcy Papers (if applicable)

Credit Explanations (if needed)

Purchase Agreement (if you are that far into process)

If self employed, you will need additional items

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Last 2 years tax returns (all schedules)

Keller Williams Realty, Trisha Cornelius 616-558-8927

First Time Home Buyers Handbook

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Last 2 years of all corresponding returns (S-corp, LLC, sole proprietorship

- all schedules)

Letter of explanation of any derogatory credit information

Loan Highlights

FHA Financing:

There are lots of reasons to ask your lender for an FHA loan instead of taking a

conventional or an expensive and risky sub-prime mortgage loan. Why not take

advantage of the many benefits and protections that only come with FHA:

Easier to Qualify - Because FHA insures your mortgage, lenders are more

willing to give loans with lower qualifying requirements so it¡¯s easier for you to

qualify.

Less than Perfect Credit - Even if you have had credit problems, such as

bankruptcy, it¡¯s easier for you to qualify for an FHA loan than a conventional loan.

Low Down payment - We have a low 3.5% down payment and that money can

come from a family member, employer or charitable organization. Other loans

don't allow this.

FHA allows down payment assistance or gift programs ¨C With an FHA loan

and down payment assistance you could move into a home with no money down

other then your earnest money.

Costs Less - Many times, FHA loans have competitive interest rates because

the loans are insured by the Federal Government. Always compare an FHA loan

with other loan types.

FHA loans are assumable ¨C With the low interest rates right now this makes

this type of loan very desirable for when you are ready to sell. Say 5 years from

now you want to move up, you could list your home with an assumable, very low

interest rate loan. Provided the buyer qualifies for a FHA loan.

Help You Keep Your Home - The FHA has been around since 1934 and will

continue to be here to protect you when the others walk away. Should you

encounter hard-times after buying your home, FHA has options that may help

keep you in your home and avoid foreclosure. FHA may be a wise choice.

DPA¡¯s (down payment assistance programs)

Keller Williams Realty, Trisha Cornelius 616-558-8927

First Time Home Buyers Handbook

HOP Program - HOP (Home Ownership Program) Funds come from the Federal

Home Loan Bank, and they get assigned to different banks.

Key requirements are:

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Must be at or below 80% Area Median Income (i.e.- family of 1- $34,800,

2- $39,750, 3- $44,750, 4- $49,700)

Up to $5,000 in down payment assistance

3 to 1 match program, so client needs $1,667 to get full $5,000

Can be used for principal reduction, closing costs, or pre-paids

Can be combined with other down payment programs

Only $500 needs to be the clients own funds, the rest can be a gift

Can be combined with FHA, VA, RD, MSHDA

Grant is forgiven over the course of five years, repayable only at time of

sale (out of proceeds) or refinance (some exceptions apply)

It is a zero interest, no payment loan, and the money that is forgiven is

prorated per month

City of Grand Rapids DPA: These are the highlights of the program: Please

contact the City of Grand Rapids for more detail. This is a silent 2nd loan of up to

5,000 and can be used for closing costs and down payment. The loan is due and

payable when you sell the home. No payments are required while living in the

home. You must occupy the home as your primary residence for the 1st 5 years.

You must be a 1st time home buyer. Income limits and selected target areas

only.

Choosing the location of the city where you

would like to live

You can do some research on your own. Read local real estate publications,

contact your local neighborhood associations, visit the local chamber of

commerce, surf the Internet, or drive around your favorite neighborhoods. While

these methods certainly can lead to your dream home, it¡¯s important to note that

82 percent of home sales are the result of agent connections.* That means it¡¯s

more likely your agent will find your dream home through being in the real estate

business than you driving around on the weekends.

It is important to narrow down the search area so you are not making a

spontaneous buying decision. Your purchase should be based on knowledge

and research. At the back of this handout there is a list of neighborhood

associations and their phone numbers. Do not hesitate to call them and ask

questions. Ask if they have a recent newsletter or if you can sit in on their next

monthly meeting. Meet the neighbors, in the warmer months; on the week ends

Keller Williams Realty, Trisha Cornelius 616-558-8927

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