Prepare Before Buying to Get the Best Deals for

Mt Hood Real Estate.

You’ve finally decided you want to buy a piece of real estate in Brightwood, Welches, Rhododendron or Government Camp Oregon. What do you do now? Here are a few tips for getting the best deal for your money:

Check Out Your Credit

Remember, everything is credit driven. That means your interest rate on your new home loan. The first thing you’ll want to do is order a copy of your credit report from the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Look for inaccuracies in:
• Name
• Address
• Creditors
• Late payments
• Delinquencies

After you’ve reviewed your credit report and know your credit score, you’re ready to make improvements to your report, if your credit score is too low. Send a written “Notice of Correction” to the credit bureaus. It can be up to 200 words. If needed, you can explain why you fell behind on a particular debt, and every time a lender accesses the report, they’ll see your explanation.

It can take several months to for your credit score to go up. However, it's well worth the effort to get a better interest rate. It can save you thousands on your real estate purchase in the Mt Hood Corridor.

Get Pre-approved

Before you start looking at properties, it’s a good idea to get a pre-approval letter from a lender. The lender takes into consideration your income and credit history. Then the lender determines the loan amount for which you qualify.

Most pre-approval letters list the maximum amount for which you are approved, not necessarily the amount you can afford. Look carefully at your budget so that you don’t get too excited about the number and get into more house than you can afford.

There are several benefits to getting pre-approved. It allows you and your Mt Hood real estate agent to narrow down the house search. That way you won't waste time seeing properties you can’t afford. Also, sellers will give your bid more weight if you're pre-approved.

Are you a first-time buyer?
You have just made a fabulous decision for your future. There are tons of great buys in the Mt Hood Real Estate market in the towns of Brightwood Welches, Rhododendron or Government Camp. I'm a specialist in the Mt Hood Corridor communities and would love to help you buy the home of your dreams. Call me now at 503-706-7101 or email me at blythe@servingmthood.com.

Credit report:
www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp

Pre-approval:
loanlane.com/preapprove.php

Budget:
financialplan.about.com/od/budgetingyourmoney/Budgeting.htm

Tips for First Time Home Buyers in the Mt Hood Corridor

Are you considering buying your first home? I'm sure you already know that now's an amazing time to buy your first home. You have the perfect combination of low interest rates, lower home prices and President Obama's stimulus plan which gives you additional incentive to buy now.

To help make your first time home buying experience the best it can be, here are some tips:

1. Know What You Can AffordIt is easy to get carried away with what you want versus what you can actually afford. Start with reasonable expectations.
2. Decide Exactly What You NeedConsider your current family status and what your immediate future might hold, then decide on the number of bedrooms you require and the amenities you feel you can't do without. If you love to cook, a well-equipped and spacious kitchen will be important. If you eat out 90% of the time, it is wasted space.
3. Make Good Use of the InternetIf you're like millions of other Americans, you spend a lot of time online. Make use of the many available free programs and calculators to give you a better idea of what you can afford and what your mortgage payments will be. There are mortgage calculators that give you an instant idea of what each home you find will cost you monthly.
4. Don't Hesitate to Ask QuestionsCall around to get insurance quotes so that you have a reasonable estimation of what to add to the total cost of your monthly mortgage. Check the information on Mt Hood Corridor towns, like Welches, Brightwood, Rhododendron or Government Camp to find home properties you are interested in & find out what the taxes are, utilities have run, what water system/or well the home is on and what the sewage disposal system is just to name a few questions to find out. Add that amount to your total monthly mortgage cost too. The Taxes will be going up in the area of the Oregon Trail School System. A great new High School was voted in November 2008!!

Buying your first Mt Hood home should be the thrill of a lifetime and with proper planning it can be. If you'd like to work with a real estate agent who specializes in helping first time home buyers get their dream home at the best price, call me today at 503-706-7101 or email me at blythe@servingmthood.com .

Stimulus Plan:
www.premiercapitalmortgage.com/2009_Stimulus_Plan

Mortgage calculators: Link to the mortgage calculator on your website. If you don't have one, link here:
www.mortgage-calc.com/

total cost of your monthly mortgage:
www.loanpage.com/morpay.htm

Great First Time Home....

Or Fantastic Vacation Getaway In Zig Zag Village on Mt Hood in Rhododendron, Oregon. Adjacent Buildable Lot available too.





Check out the Virtual Tour at mthoodhomes.vflyer.com/home/flyer/home/2376054


Happy Hunting!

Looking for Your First Home? 2009 is the Year You've Been Waiting For!!!

Buying Your First Mt Hood Home
Is this a good time for first time home buyers to consider a home in Welches, Rhododendron, or Brightwood ? It's a familiar question with the economy in the state it is in. Here are a few reasons why a home is still a great investment for first time home buyers.

Pride of Ownership
This will never go away no matter what the economy is like. Owning your own home is the American dream for a reason. It just feels good to take care of a home in the Mt Hood Corridor that's yours and yours alone.

Tax Incentives
Owning your own home is one of the best tax deductions. The new stimulus plan makes that tax incentive better than ever before. Not only can you deduct your interest payments on your tax forms this year and for every year during the life of your mortgage, the stimulus plan allows a huge homebuyer tax credit of $8,000 for homes purchased in 2009 by first time home buyers.

Your property taxes are deductible too. Many first time home buyers understand that they can deduct the mortgage payment interest but don't realize they can declare their property tax as well for an even bigger yearly deduction.

Equity
Yes, even now, you will begin to build equity with each year you're in your new home. Equity improves your credit worthiness and gives you options for loans in the future if you need them.Take the first step toward buying a new home and contact me. I'll help you find the perfect place for you and your family. And, I'll help you get it at a great price. Call me now at 503-706-7101 or email me at blythe@servingmthood.com.


Homebuyer Tax credit:
www.realtor.org/government_affairs/gapublic/american_recovery_reinvestment_act_home#taxcredit

Tax deductions:
www.alllaw.com/articles/tax/article3.asp

Property Taxes:
www.neamb.com/lifeplan/homelive/hb_tax.jsp