It's almost spring time and love is in the air! Newlyweds are saying "I do" to each other, and equate to over half of first time home buyers that are also saying "I do" to their dream homes. It makes sense! When you put two hearts together, the time comes to find a home to nourish that love. If you and your spouse are ready to fall in love with the perfect house together, here are five tips to make sure the process goes smoothly and you come prepared.
1. YOUR WEDDING BUDGET: Your wedding is a one-time event that should be everything you dreamed. It's a beautiful time to put all of the fairytale pieces together. However, it's best to sit down and find out ways you can shift the budget to help with your down payment for a home, if you plan to purchase soon after the wedding. The average couple spends a little over $20,000 on their wedding. Even a savings of $5000 from your wedding budget can help with owning the perfect home.
2. WEDDING GIFTS: Wedding bliss comes with wedding gifts. For many couples, one of our favorite times during the wedding season is all of the gifts that come pouring in! Have any friends or family pitching in cash? Save that to put towards your down payment. And depending on the generosity of your gifts, you can even open an account dedicated to your down payment that friends and family can gift to.
3. GET PRE-APPROVED: One of the least brought up conversations in relationships is the credit and financial history of your soon-to-be spouse. Get together with a lender to go over both of your histories to know what needs to be done to put you guys in a position to own together. In some cases, only one person can get approved. If you want to put both of your incomes toward the cost of the house you want, talking to a lender early on can ensure you are prepared to make the right moves.
4. THE RIGHT AGENT: That's where I come in! For starters, I can connect you with an experienced and knowledgable lender to ensure you guys are being watched over from the best recommendations. For me, it's an absolute joy to take the stress out of buying a home for my newly wed couples. While on of the happiest days for a couple, weddings can be quite stressful. To then jump into buying a house shortly after the honeymoon, is certainly a lot to get through. But I can guide you through all of the steps to make sure you end up with a house you love. Just think of me as a wedding planner, but for homes.
5. NOW THERE'S TWO: Although some spouses are a match made in heaven, loving and adoring the same exact things, often times that's not the case with most couples. You still are individuals and have your own tastes. This is where the first step to comprise really begins. Spending a good bit of money on a place you both will love and call home is a big decision. A happy marriage starts with a happy home, so be sure you both are considerate of each other's wants and needs in style and location, so you both are happy with the home you end up getting.