The smart way to use your VA mortgage or your FHA mortgage
These ideas work for California real estate and Everett real estate. Before we even start looking for homes for sale Everett I will assume you have done what I call the 3 basic tasks you need to do before buying your first home.
- You have found a good loan officer and have qualified for a VA or FHA mortgage. The reason I suggest a VA mortgage is because it is the only true zero down mortgage available without heavy restrictions. Now if you don’t qualify for the VA mortgage you should be able to qualify for a FHA mortgage. The FHA mortgage has the lowest down payment (3.5% of the purchase price) and is the easy to qualify for.
- Next before anything else I suggest you see a qualified tax professional. The reason I suggest this is because if you have never owned a home before you will be surprised at the tax benefits of home ownership. Tax planning is always best done before the act not after.
- Find a good real estate agent. Be sure that the agent knows the area you are considering.
1) Ask you agent to look for a neighborhood in transition. Usually your best bargains for a home for sale in Everett are in neighborhoods in transition. Now what exactly is a neighborhood in transition? The first thing is how many of the homes look to be rental as opposed to owner occupied? If you really want to know that here is a simple way. Have your agent ask a title insurance company for an area report of owner occupied vs. non owner occupied homes. In the report they will have dates of sales recordings. This way you can get a feel for the way the neighborhood is going.
2) Next really look at the homes in the area. Look for well kept yards, signs of home remodeling, new paint, new roofs, etc. Does the neighborhood have CCR’s? CCR’s are codes, covenants and restrictions. In Everett there is the historic area. In this area you have to maintain your home in certain ways. In an larger area developed by a single developer you will usually find CCR’s. These can be minor to major restrictions. If you are buying a Condo there are ALWAYS CCR’s.
3) Another source of information is the local police records. These records can show which way crime is going. Usually owner occupied homes will have a lower crime rate than rentals, for obvious reasons. Look for bars on windows and doors.
4) Just because a home for sale in Everett isn’t listed doesn’t mean you can’t buy it. When I go shopping for real estate bargains I look for homes owned by very long term owners. Retired people who may be snowbirds or simply not able to keep a home up anymore just might be open to an offer.
5) How about expired listings, there are plenty in California real estate. In this market many homes haven’t sold for various reasons. Here is when you can find so interesting bargains. Here is when creative financing can occur. If the seller is wiling you can actually buy a home without a formal loan. I don’t recommend this unless you have the help of someone experienced in this. This is true sweat equity. This is the way I bought my very first home in West Lynn OR. I bought it then fixed it up and got formal financing later.
You are allowed only one VA mortgage at a time. The same is true with an FHA mortgage. Use them wisely and they will make you a lot of money.
Comment and suggestions are most welcome.
Jim Johnson
