For many people owning a home is part of the “American Dream.” Owning a home has many benefits and brings many responsibilities.
Real estate agents can help you find a home to buy. Ask friends or co-workers or call a local real estate agency for the name of an agent. Ask for an agent who knows the area where you want to buy your house.You can look in the newspaper “Classifieds” under “Homes for Sale.”You can also look for “For Sale” signs in the neighborhoods you like.
Most people need to get a loan to pay for a home; this is called a “mortgage.”You can get a mortgage from a local bank or from a mortgage company. Getting a mortgage means you are borrowing money at a specific rate of interest for a specific period of time.
Interest you pay on your mortgage can be deducted from your federal income tax.
You also need to buy homeowner’s insurance to help pay for any possible future damage to your home. Insurance usually covers damage due to bad weather, fire, or robbery.
You will also need to pay property taxes on the value of your home.
A real estate agent or real estate lawyer can help you find a mortgage and insurance. He or she can also help you fill out the forms to buy your home. A real estate agent should not charge you a fee to buy a home. But you may have to pay a fee to a real estate lawyer to help you fill out the forms.You will also have to pay fees to get your mortgage and to file legal forms with the state.
These fees are called “closing costs.” Your real estate agent or mortgage lender must tell you how much these fees will be before you sign the final purchase forms for your home.