Posted by Ben Wills in Home Buying

Are you unsure if you’re ready to buy a home or where to start? It can be an intimidating process if you try to navigate home buying on your own.

Read some helpful advice from one of our experienced M/I Financial (MIF) Branch Managers before you start looking for a home.

Family Moving Into New Home

Affordability, as a general rule of thumb, boils down to the percentage of your income your total monthly obligations command.

Your mortgage obligations can push to 43% of your gross income.

Couple Meeting With New Home Consultant in M/I Homes Model Home

Once you’ve done the math, you can start to put together your must-haves list for the items you’re not willing to compromise on a home.

You might realize you need a 2-car garage, main-level living, a home office, a location under 20 minutes to work, etc.

This list can help you as you start to browse available homes in the area—make sure you stick to your must-haves and don’t get distracted by other home features that might push you outside of your budget.

From a 5-bedroom single family home to a 2-bedroom townhome to a 1-story home and anything in between, this list also whittles down home types to look at based on your needs.

Home Office

Next, start to budget for a down payment. You’ll need to understand what do’s and don’ts to apply to your lifestyle while you’re working towards pre-qualification!

Remember: a home is the most sound investment that can be made in our current environment; not consuming your buying power with liabilities like automobiles and other expenditures is key to maximizing your investment in a home.

Person Making a Budget

Finally, make sure to take advantage of any opportunities to save money on your new home.

M/I Homes has a robust portfolio of programs to maximize your buying power. We have opportunity for extended locks, rate options, and finance programs that cater to the unique needs of our future homeowners.*

Homeownership is within grasp!

Woman Shaking Hands With Lender

With the future of the housing market looking to attack affordability with scale and location, the time is now to capitalize on today’s programs and housing prices while there remains opportunity for significant appreciation. We are here to help you reach your dream of homeownership!


*To learn about any current offers, incentives, programs, and other information mentioned in the above, contact M/I Financial, LLC (NMLS# 50685).



Author

Ben Wills
Ben Wills

Author

​Ben Wills is the Mortgage Branch Training Officer for M/I Financial, LLC. Ben has been in the mortgage field for over 40 years and has assisted thousands of homeowners in financing new home construction.

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