No Money Down Does Not Mean No $!

Just because you’re buying a home No MONEY DOWN does not mean you won’t have to spend any money at all.

I think it’s safe to say that most people look at money as an enemy. Author, Phil Laut, wrote the book, Money is My Friend. This book was originally written in 1978 and has since been updated and revised in 2002 and 2004 respectively.

The subtitle: Eliminate Your Financial Fears….I think is the key element in the mind of most people: Most of us are afraid of money because we haven’t had a good relationship with money from the beginning. With the exception of the wealthy and ultra-wealthy, the larger majority of our population falls into  one of the following categories: well-to-do, middle class or poor. When I say poor I mean in terms of how much money you make or where you can afford to live, etc.

Most people will state quickly that “money is the root of all evil” because that is what it says in the bible and that’s why most people don’t have a good relationship with it because most people are good and money has gotten a bad rap. However, that suggests that people who are wealthy or are good with money must be bad. Well, think again! The correct verse is “the love of money is the root of all evil”.

What does all of this have to do with buying a home……Well, Everything! If you have the wrong mindset then you’re going to make it hard on yourself to get anything done, including buying a home. Why? Because what you Focus on Expands. If you continue with the mindset that money is evil, hard, bad then you’ll constantly let it slip through your fingers, which is why when it’s time to buy your dream home you’ve been wanting you think NO Money Down is the quick and easy way to buy your home. Now don’t get me wrong, if you qualify for USDA for instance your income has to be at an applicable or low income limit and usually no money down is required great-go for it.  Of course, the home will have to meet all of the USDA guidelines.

Back to what all of this have to do with NO MONEY DOWN. Well, if you go into the process of buying a home with the mindset that no money is required consider that there are certain costs to purchasing a home. Consider your down payment or earnest money deposit if it’s not a USDA loan. Also consider having a home inspection for which the inspector is paid at the time of inspection, and closing costs. Not to mention moving expenses if you plan to hire a moving company. Even if family members and friends help they’re going to be hungry and thirsty. In addition, you may be eating out for a few nights or going to family members or friends. If you intend to buy some new furniture or get a new door or a few windows, all of these expenses will require money OUT OF YOUR POCKET! The list can go on but you get my meaning.

So what’s the answer? Simple. Save Your Money. How much? Suggestion: $5k minimum. How? Prioritize. Plan. Prepare. Sacrifice. Give up a few things now – skip a meal out, skip a movie night and get a DVD from the local library, cut the cable for a few months, brown bag it for a few months – in order to gain something Great – Your Home for you & your family. It will be worth it. I promise. Need some assistance with it? Easy, call me at 609-484-9890, email me:sbhardy@kw.com, https://www.facebook.com/atlanticcountynjhomes/.

To Your New Home!

 

Happy March 2017!

Hey All, I haven’t actively been posting because I’ve been working on closings with clients and it can get hectic and I’m only Human! I’ve also been working on writing a book that I’d like to share with you. I wanted to put together a book to share my experience as a real estate agent in the hopes of helping others know more about it before they take the plunge into the real estate arena. To that end, I’ve written a book I named Necessary Roughness because I felt that was what I went through to learn the business of real estate. I think this term can appropriately be applied to learning any new skill for your job or a business.

I am hosting a release party on Friday, May 12, 2017 at a TBD venue. If you are thinking about or have thought about what it could be like in the real estate arena, I Invite you to pre-order Necessary Roughness.

I wrote this book with the newbie real estate agency, struggling real estate agent, frustrated real estate agent in mind to let you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel and this is what we all go through on our way to success.

Pre-order your copy of Necessary Roughness to get a sneak peek into the world of real estate.