Four Big Questions If you answer yes to the following questions, you are probably ready to buy a home: 1. Do you have a steady, reliable income? In other words, have you been employed on a regular basis for the last two years and do you expect to maintain your employment? 2. Do you have a good record of paying your bills? Have you made regular, on-time payments? If not, there is still hope, programs are available to those that can show a good rental history. 3. Do you have money saved up for a down payment and closing costs? Many home buyers think that a down payment of 20 percent is needed. It’s not. Many loans exist today that allow buyers to put down 10 percent to as little as 3 percent on the purchase of a home. A few programs are still available that allow No Down Payment and No Closing Costs. So don’t give up just because you can’t come up with a 20 percent down payment. 4. Do you have the ability each month to pay the mortgage as well as additional costs that go along with homeownership, such as taxes, insurance, and maintenance? |