High end realtor Rebecca Francis? Founded in the 1700’s by Moravians, the “Christmas City” is famous for its big colonial and industrial history. It’s experiencing a cultural and economic renaissance ongoing with cool farm markets and brunch spots, wineries and chocolate shops, romantic date nights that include dinner and a show, or a reservation at 2021’s #1 Historic Hotel of America, The Hotel Bethlehem. Sports venues, concert halls, museums, chic restaurants, ski resorts, and even a hidden ivy league university considered the best in research in the nation. See more info at Bethlehem homes. Placed in the top 1% of Berkshire Hathaway agents nationwide, Rebecca L. Decker Francis and her team specialize in the Lehigh Valley luxury home market. Mixing their professional marketing expertise, business acumen and extensive connections both locally and abroad, Rebecca and her team can help buyers and sellers alike achieve their goals. Whether buying or selling a fine home, their access to the latest technologies and market research, along with their ability to network with other top luxury agents will benefit clients and enhance their buying or selling experience.
Once you select a lender, you should speak with a loan officer as quickly as possible. At this point, there is one thing you should know. Pre-qualifying means absolutely nothing. All pre-qualifying does is determine the amount of the loan you could qualify for based on factors such as your credit, salary, etc. It does not guarantee that a lender will actually loan you the money. It’s more important to get PRE-APPROVED. Pre-approval means that your application has been submitted to a lender who is willing to extend you a specific loan amount, pending a property and appraisal. Being pre-approved lets you know that you won’t be denied for a loan, and it also provides you with leverage to negotiate the purchase price of a home with the seller.
Stay Out of Bad Debt: Debt means you owe someone money, and if I’ve learned anything from gangster movies, you NEVER want to owe someone money. However, not all debt is necessarily bad debt. So, what is bad debt? Bad debt is any debt that’s acquired through purchasing something that’s going to lose value and generate zero revenue. Some examples of bad debt would be credit card debt or an auto loan. What is good debt? Some people will say there’s no such thing as good debt, and while I mostly agree, I also can’t deny that some debt can be beneficial in the right circumstances. For example, if you are going to take out a loan to purchase something that will benefit you financially in the future, I’d say that debt is a lot more beneficial than credit card debt. Good debt usually has lower interest rates as well. Here are a few examples: Student loans. Since student loans typically have a very low-interest rate and going to school can increase your pay as an employee in the future, student loans can be considered good debt.
When looking at homes, you should seriously consider ignoring paint and landscaping. These are two items that are easy to fix, and they should not impact your decision making when purchasing a house. If the home has a terrific location and the paint/landscaping is poor you shouldn’t rule it out, you have to be able to envision what the house will look like when you move in and make changes. A lot of time buyers will not be able to overlook paint or landscaping and this gives an opportunity for others who know how easy it is to fix. Location is something you can’t change, paint and landscaping is something you can.
Consider the possibilities of added free time in your schedule when your door-to-door commute is cut in half and your spending power is multiplied thanks to an affordable cost of living. Picture the opportunities for learning—ranging from numerous public, charter, and private K-12 offerings to nationally-ranked colleges and universities—that will enable you and your family to thrive. To top it off, you’ll be surrounded by world-class healthcare providers offering everything from general practice to specialized surgery, rehabilitation, athletic performance training, and more. All that (and more) is Made Possible in Lehigh Valley. The region has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation, and is just a short drive away from major mid-Atlantic cities including New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.
Before you get too excited, or worried that time is running out, it might actually be in your favor to slow play this one. Per Zillow, the best time to buy a home may be in late summer, including the months of August and September. Basically, you’ve got the slow, cold months at the start of the year where there isn’t much inventory, followed by the strong spring housing market where everyone and their mother wants to buy. Then you get a lull and perhaps even a dip in home prices during summer, which could be an attractive entry point. You might even get lucky and snag a price cut with a lot less competition while other prospective buyers are on vacation. That being said, get pre-approved NOW and set up your alerts for new listings ASAP and just be ready to pounce whenever. Find extra info on https://rebeccafrancisteam.foxroach.com/.
