Buying a home is sure to be a line item on plenty of bucket lists, but knowing when you’re ready to buy isn’t a question everyone is able to answer. By going through this simple checklist, you can confidently know if you’re ready to buy.

The Long Plan

Buying a house is obviously a big decision that will somewhat tie you down to a location for a while. A detailed 10 year plan isn’t necessary, but you should consider what the next 5 years may look like. If you’re planning on moving to a new city in a few years, buying may not be for you.

Room to Grow

Are you planning to start a new family or add a few kids to the picture soon? This is a very common and very respectable reason to buy. Just make sure you buy big enough for the family you’re planning for.

Savings

Setting some money aside is the first step toward homeownership. How much you need to stockpile will depend on how much you want to spend on the house and how much you want to put toward the down payment. Standard practice is to put down 20% of the total cost of the house in your down payment, but this isn’t necessary. However, if you put down less than 20% the lender might require you to pay PMI until you have 20% equity.

Credit Score

While you certainly don’t need an 850 credit score to buy a house, you will be able to get a better loan with a better credit score. Figuring out exactly where your credit score needs to be isn’t absolutely straightforward, it really depends on how big of a loan you need and what interest rate you’re comfortable with. To answer this question, you can work with your lender to see what improving your score would do for your loan.

Price Tag

The final step is to put everything together and see what you can afford right now. Hopefully, this price range will allow you to meet all your needs and fits your lifestyle for the foreseeable future.

With the warm weather comes picnics, ball games, and bugs. The hatching season is over and now all kinds of crawling critters are swarming around, and if you’re not careful some might try to find their way into your home. Here are a few ways you can keep the bugs at bay during the summer months.

Close Up the Kitchen

When bugs invade a home, the first item on their list is some tasty scraps or crumbs of food. Let the pests know the kitchen is closed by storing dry items (like pasta and flour) in air-tight containers, ditching the fruit bowl, and keeping a lid on the trash can. Following all three of these tips will stop signals that attract bugs from going out.

Stay Dry

The second item on bug’s list will be water. Bugs love, and will thrive, in damp places. This makes bathrooms a prime destination for bugs to live and lay eggs. To get rid of bathroom bugs, a little home improvement will go a long way. Clearing clogged drains, fixing dripping faucets, and cleaning toilets are all great ways to fix up your bathroom and fix your bug problem.

Clear Up Clutter

Bugs love a messy house. It gives them a place to hunker down, and, in some cases, it can even give them food to eat. Silverfish love to chow down on glue, linen, and cellulose. Cockroaches enjoy dining on book bindings and wallpaper paste. This makes storing items like newspaper, magazines, paper bags, mail, bottles, and plastic bags a very dangerous proposition. To get rid of the bugs, get rid of the clutter.

Get Some Offensive Plants

Eliminating attractive environments for pests is a good start, but if you want to go on the offensive, plants are your best bet. By planting certain plants in strategic areas, you can send the bugs down the road. Plants like lemongrass, lavender, basil, and rosemary are all great natural insect repellants.

One of the biggest obstacles you’ll have to face as a first-time homeowner is getting approved for a mortgage. There’s lots of back and forth between the bank, credit bureaus, and various other parties. If you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, this process can be daunting, but if you know a few tricks you’ll have a much smoother ride to the finish.

Check Your Credit Score

This is the first, and most important, report any lender will look at. Your credit score will have a huge impact on how much the bank will loan you and what interest rate you can get. There are plenty of ways to check your credit score for free, so sign up for one and look for any mistakes. It can take a long time to fix any mistakes and improve your score, so the faster you can check, the better.

Pay Off Debt

Another big mortgage factor will be your debt to income ratio. The exact ratio will depend on the lender, but normally lenders won’t consider giving you a loan if your debt takes away more than 40% of your income. So, before you apply for a loan, pay off as much debt as you can, and do it fast. Credit scores will take some time to update once you pay off debt, and bringing in a receipt of payment won’t get you anywhere with a lender.

Get Prequalified

Once you get your credit score and debt squared away, find the lender you want to use and get prequalified. This isn’t the same as getting officially approved for a mortgage, but it’s a strong signal to sellers that you’re a legitimate buyer and it lets you know what your price range needs to be. The process for getting prequalified isn’t too tricky, assuming you follow steps 1 and 2, and most lenders are good about walking you through the process.

When you’re a single person, or married without kids, a good location for a home is all about proximity to the newest restaurants, bars, entertainment options, and nightlife. But that all changes when you start a family. Having kids causes you to change a lot of your priorities, and home location is definitely one of those shifting priorities. School districts suddenly become way more important than being close to the art district. If you’re wanting a more family friendly neighborhood, here are some features to look out for.

School Districts– Few things are more important than your kid’s education. Make sure the neighborhood is in a good school district by checking a few easy stats about the schools. You’ll want to know student to teacher ratio, test scores, and graduation rates. It’s also not a bad idea to check for the availability of extracurricular programs like music, art, theater and sports.

Sidewalks– One of the most underestimated neighborhood features are sidewalks. These concrete oases are your ticket to safe bike riding lessons, chalk drawing, evening walks pushing a stroller, and plenty of other activity you might take for granted.

Shortcut Streets– Before you buy, it’s a good idea to visit the neighborhood during morning and evening rush hour to see if commuters are using the neighborhood streets to dodge rush hour traffic. If you spot cars barreling down the streets, it might spell trouble when kids are playing by the street after school.

Parks and Pools– Having a place you can send the kids to burn off some energy is a wonderful thing come summer time when school is out. Neighborhood parks and pools are great for entertaining kids and keeping your sanity. These common areas are also a great way for you to meet and get to know your neighbors.

At Perry Hood Properties, we take pride in building top quality homes in top quality neighborhoods. If you’re in need of a new construction home in a family friendly neighborhood, give us a call.

We all love the site of a well-manicured lawn and garden, but who really has the time to pull off such a feat? Regardless of time, it’s just hard to know what to plant where and when to plant it. However, gardening and yard work don’t have to be high maintenance chores. By following a few simple steps, you can have picture perfect landscaping with minimal effort.

Don’t Cut the Lawn Too Short– Most people are actually cutting their lawn too short, which invites bugs and weeds to hunker down in your lawn. By leaving your grass a little longer than normal you can protect your lawn by allowing the plant to sustain its rate of photosynthesis and deal with the stress of any droughts.

Load Up On Mulch– One of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your landscaping is to spread a nice thick layer of mulch in all your flower beds. Doing this kills weeds, keeps flowers nourished, and will decompose so you don’t have to remove it. At about $3 a bag, mulch is also incredibly affordable.

Opt for Perennials- Instead of getting annuals, which only last a year, buy perennials. These flowers will wither away during Winter, but then come back to life every Spring. This means you only have to worry about planting flowers one year. If you’re not sure what qualifies as a perennial, try going to a nursery instead of a home improvement store. Employees at nurseries are generally more knowledgeable and can help point you in the right direction.

Xeriscape– This technique takes a little more planning than the others, but when done correctly it makes for the easiest landscaping possible. Xeriscape is a method of landscaping that uses drought-tolerant plants and typically replaces grass with various rocks. This look isn’t for everyone, but you’ll never have to water your lawn again.

Install a Sprinkler System– If you’re looking for a set it and forget it way to manage your landscaping, just install an automatic sprinkler system. You can program it to only water certain areas of your lawn on certain days. This means your lawn and flower beds will be well taken care of, and you won’t have to lift a finger.

Any move, no matter how far or how big the family, can be stressful. There’s boxes to pack, trucks to rent, and adding kids to the equation can be enough to send you over the edge. Thankfully, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to make moving with kids a little more manageable.

Preparation– Sometimes kids don’t fully understand what moving means. Take time to explain they’ll be living in a new house, with new rooms, and new neighbors. If you feel like they’re having trouble grasping the concept, find some age appropriate books that help explain moving.

Timing is Everything- Some moves have to happen without any consideration of anyone’s schedule, but, if you can help it, try to plan your move at a calmer time. Think about the kids’ school and activity schedule, and avoid any other big changes like potty-training.

Pack Toys Last– Remember the last box in the truck will be the first box out. Leave at least one box of toys to pack last, that way when you arrive the kids will have something to distract them while you’re unpacking.

Take Your Time– It seems like moving always takes longer than expected, and with kids this is sure to be true. Don’t give yourself too strict of a deadline to pack and unpack. This will only cause more stress and frustration.

Keep Extra Clothes Handy– Just like with the toys, you don’t want to bury all your kid’s clothes too deep in the moving truck. Leave out a change of clothes or two for your kids just in case they get messy and need to change fast.

Turn Moving into an Adventure– if the kids are stressed about moving, hype it up and make it a fun adventure. You can go to the new house early, hide a few items, and let the kids have a scavenger hunt. Or you can build a fort with all the boxes and have a campout in the living room. Just find ways to put a positive spin on the move.

Whether you’re new to the neighborhood or you just got some new neighbors next door, getting to know new neighbors isn’t as easy as Leave It To Beaver makes it look. Everyone is incredibly busy and it’s hard to get out of your shell to say hello. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, here are some great tips to help you get to know your neighbors.

Host a Neighborhood Cookout

Two of the best ways to get to know people are hot food and cold drinks. Pick a day with some nice weather and invite your new neighbors over. This is a great non-threatening way to introduce yourself and meet the people next door. Don’t feel obligated to throw some elaborate gala, the conversation is the most important part, not the decorations.

Community Activities

If there’s a neighborhood pool or park, these are great places to meet people from all across the neighborhood. Try to spend some time at these places and introduce yourself as you see new people. Home Owners Associations are another great venue for meeting people. Attend a meeting, shake some hands, and see where you can get involved.

Bring the Kids 

If you’re looking for an easy icebreaker, bring the kids with you. Let your kids meet the neighborhood kids so they can have play dates and you can meet the other parents. Every parent is always looking for new ways to entertain their kids, so you can bet other neighborhood parents will welcome some new playmates.

Hangout Outside

It might sound simple, but just spending time in the front yard or on the back porch can make a huge difference. Too often we spend our nights and weekends cooped up inside where no one can see us. If you spend a little time enjoying the outdoors, you can naturally meet neighbors as they come and go.

Having good neighbors can make all the difference, and getting to know your neighbors is easier than you think. If you’re looking for a new house in a great neighborhood, give Perry Hood Properties a call.

You’ve been pining over that perfect house for months or even years, and now it’s time to stop dreaming and start building. This might sound like a no-brainer, after all you’ve been fantasizing about walk-in closets and kitchen islands nonstop, but there are a few steps you need to consider to make sure everything is as perfect as you imagined. It’s tempting to skip straight to picking backsplashes and paint colors, but if you skip these steps you might not get the house you always wanted.

Location– It’s one of the oldest real estate clichés for a reason. The three most important things are location, location, location. Before you start sketching elevations and floorplans, take some time to research your ideal location. Find the best school district, commute, and neighborhood amenities you can. The perfect house in a bad location isn’t much of a dream home.

Floor Plans– Now that you’ve found the ideal location, the next step is to consider the floor plan. This is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make when designing your dream home. When picking a floor plan, you need to think about how your family functions and what requirements the house needs to meet. If you host a lot of family holidays and get-togethers an open floor plan with a big dining room should be on your list. If you’re looking to have more kids soon, pick a plan with a big backyard and some extra bedrooms.

Upgrades– Before you make your final decisions, ask about what upgrades are available. You might be surprised how affordable a few extra features might be. Having all the information available will help you make the most informed decision possible.

Take Your Time– Obviously, you don’t want to drag your feet and hold up the construction process, but you definitely don’t want to rush the decision either. Remember, you’ll be living in this home for a long time and you want everything to be perfect. The last thing you want to happen is to rush a decision you think won’t matter that much, only to regret it big time later.

At Perry Hood Properties, we’ve been helping home buyers create their dream home since 1981. If you have a home you’ve been dreaming about, we can help bring it to life.

House hunting can be an emotional process, and this can cause a lot of problems if you’re not careful. Knowing this decision will impact everything from your daily commute to your savings account opens the door for your emotions to get the best of you and cloud the decision making process. The five biggest, and most common, house hunting mistakes can all easily be avoided if you can keep your emotions in check and stay on track.

1. Settling– House hunting can take a long time and it can be so easy to feel like there’s nothing better out there and settle for a house you don’t really like that much. A great solution to house hunting fatigue is buying a new custom home from Perry Hood Properties. You can pick the floor plan, appliances, paint color, cabinets, and many other options.
2. Overlooking Flaws– After you’ve seen a few houses, it can be tempting to start overlooking important flaws in homes. These flaws will come back to make you regret your purchase. It’s important to be picky and not sweep problems under the rug in order to rationalize buying a house that isn’t right for you.
3. The Handyman Dilemma– Instead of sweeping problems under the rug, some house hunters will see flaws and assume they have the budget and ability to fix them. Far too often people buy houses with the intention of restoring them to their former glory, only to spend more money than it would have cost to buy a house in good condition.
4. Waiting– While you certainly don’t want to rush this decision, dragging your feet trying to wait for the perfect time to sign can cost you. If you keep waffling on the decision to buy or not buy, another buyer might beat you to the punch.
5. Location, Location, Location– Finding the perfect house is good, but finding the perfect neighborhood is just as important. The best house in the world can’t make up for the wrong neighborhood. Make sure the neighborhood has good schools, a decent commute, and access to entertainment and dining options.