Looking to purchase in this red hot market? Here are some important steps and things to consider when looking to purchase a home:

1. Strengthening your credit score: Your mortgage pre-approval can depend on your credit score. If your score is too-low or you have no score, you may be deemed high risk and therefore, cannot obtain a pre-approval. You can strengthen your score by always paying your bills on time, as well as not missing any payments. Credit cards aren’t the only debt to consider, neglecting your car loans, student loans and more can affect your score as well.

2. Figuring out what you can afford: We can help! Complete an application at darlenehanley.com and we can run the scenarios and crunch the numbers for you, helping figure out what is economically practical and reasonable for you! We will discuss options with you so you can make an offer with confidence.

3. Saving for down-payment and closing costs: Having more money to put down means more flexibility with your mortgage options. It’s always a good idea to save as much as possible. Lenders want to see that you have at least 1.5% of the total purchase price for your closing costs, however your actual cost could be more or less. We can give you a more accurate amount. It is important to factor this amount in when saving.

4. Getting pre-approved: Contact Hanley Mortgage Group today to see what we can do for you. We’ll smoothly and effectively guide you through the home-buying process. We want to arrange a mortgage you’ll be truly comfortable and happy with! This is an exciting time in your life and we are with you the whole time!