Nashville First-Time Home Buyers
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Are you planning to make the transition from renting to owning soon? Start your search with Nashville's top team of first time home buyer specialists. As a Nashville first-time home buyer, you’ll have plenty of upcoming decisions to make when it comes to buying your first home or condo. But as Nashville’s first-time home buyer specialists, we’ll help guide you through the entire home buying process and also make sure you find the perfect new place to finally call your own!
To get your new home search started, start browsing affordable Nashville homes for sale below, or if you haven't already reached out to us, contact us at your earliest convenience to schedule a quick home showing for a home or condo you'd like to view in person
Buying Your First Home in Nashville, TN
As you've probably guessed by the rising Nashville home prices, buying a home requires thoughtful planning and decision making. Buying a Nashville home is a financial and emotional decision that requires the experience and support of a team of reliable professionals. Purchasing a home is a lifestyle choice that requires you to think about how you like to spend your time and the type of community where you want to live. Good examples are a rural area like Franklin without nearby neighbors, a condo building in the Gulch or a home in a subdivision with a clubhouse and pool. The more you understand your priorities for a home, the easier it will be for you to narrow your real estate decisions. Homeownership can also be a powerful way to increase your personal wealth for you and your family, since you’ll be building equity in your home as you pay off your mortgage.
Qualifying For a Mortgage As a First-Time Home Buyer
In order to qualify for a mortgage loan to buy a home, you’ll need good credit, a pattern of paying your bills on time and saving money, and a maximum debt-to-income ratio (your gross monthly income compared to the minimum payments on all recurring debts) of 43 percent. Some lenders have stricter guidelines, so the lower your debt-to-income ratio, the better. While loan programs are available with low down payments of 3.5 to 5 percent, and a few programs offer no down payment at all, you’ll still need some savings to pay for closing costs and moving expenses, a deposit on a home, and for cash reserves after you buy. Saving money and preserving or improving your credit history are essential elements to homeownership. Now, take a closer look at just some of the different home loan options for first-time home buyers in Nashville below.
Costs Associated With Home Ownership
Housing prices and rents vary from one Nashville neighborhood to another, but you can use a rent-vs.-buy calculator to estimate the difference between your current rent and buying a home. In some markets buying a home can cost the same or even less than renting. Remember, when you’re a homeowner you need to include homeowners insurance, property taxes and homeowner association dues in your housing costs. You can also use a home affordability calculator to help you estimate what you can pay for a home. Once you’ve thought through the emotional and financial aspects of becoming a homeowner, your next steps should be to find a reliable, experienced Realtor to become your partner in the home buying process and to meet with a reputable lender who can discuss your options for financing your purchase.