Quail Creek Homes | Russ Fortuno, Tierra Antigua Realty

Tips for Home Buyers

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Home Buyers Guide Out-of-State Buyers

VA Loans: Making a home for the brave possible

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VA Loans: Making a home for the brave possible

Since the creation of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loans Program, over 22 million veterans have achieved the American Dream of home ownership. Many veterans do not know the details of the program and therefore do not take advantage of the benefits available to them.

If you are a veteran or you know someone who is, here is a breakdown of the VA Home Loan benefits that can be used to achieve the American Dream!

Top 5 Benefits of a VA Home Loan

  • The greatest benefit of a VA Loan is that borrowers can buy a home with a 0% down payment. In 2016, 82% of all VA Loans put down 0%!
  • Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is not required! (Most other loans with down payments under 20% require PMI, which adds additional costs to your monthly housing expense!)
  • Credit Score requirements are also lower for VA Home Loans. The average FICO® score of a borrower for an approved VA Loan is 620, compared to 676 (FHA) or 753 (Conventional).
  • There is also a limitation on a veteran buyer’s closing costs. Sellers can pay all of a buyer’s loan-related closing costs and up to 4% in concessions in some cases.
  • Even with interest rates rising, VA Loans continue to have the lowest average interest rates of all loan types.

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5 financial benefits to owning your home instead of renting

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Owning will always be better than renting

Owning a home has great financial benefits.

In a recent research paper titled “Homeownership and the American Dream,” Laurie S. Goodman and Christopher Mayer of the Urban Land Institute explained:

“Homeownership appears to help borrowers accumulate housing and non-housing wealth in a variety of ways, with tax advantages, greater financial flexibility due to secured borrowing, built-in ‘default’ savings with mortgage amortization and nominally fixed payments, and the potential to lower home maintenance costs through sweat equity.”

Let’s break down five major financial benefits of homeownership:

1. Housing Is Typically the One Leveraged Investment Available

Homeownership allows households to amplify any appreciation on the value of their homes by a leverage factor. A 20% down payment results in a leverage factor of five, meaning every percentage point rise in the value of your home is a 5% return on your equity. If you put down 10%, your leverage factor is 10.

Example: Let’s assume you purchased a $300,000 home and put down $60,000 (20%). If the house appreciates by $30,000, that is not only a 10% increase in value but a 50% increase in equity.Continue Reading

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Want to build wealth? Buy a home — and buy it early

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Want To Build Wealth? Buy A Home—And Buy It Early

It’s safe to assume that pretty much everyone wants to build wealth — and continue to build wealth throughout their life. But how, exactly, do you do that? According to the data, you build wealth by buying real estate — and buying it early.

According to a report from the Urban Institute, homeowners who purchase property early build more wealth by their sixties than homeowners who wait until later in life to buy a home. The homeowners who get the most bang for their buck? Those who purchase their home between the ages of 25 and 34.

By age 60 or 61, these homeowners have a median home equity of close to $150,000, which is $72,000 more than homeowners who purchase property between the ages of 35 and 44 and a whopping $100,000 more than homeowners who wait to buy real estate until after the age of 45.

In summary, the earlier in life you buy a home, the more wealth you’ll have accumulated by the time you’re ready to retire. And no matter how old you are today, it’s never too late to start building wealth. So if you’ve been thinking about purchasing a home, there’s no better time than right now.

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Russ Fortuno, Associate Broker

I'm a Southern Arizona native and Quail Creek resident. Whether you’re buying or selling a home in Quail Creek, you’ll experience unsurpassed service and professionalism at all stages of your real estate transaction. I welcome the opportunity to assist in your next home sale or purchase.
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Tierra Antigua Realty

18745 S. I-19 Frontage Rd., Ste. A105
Green Valley, AZ 85614
(520) 333-0446
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