412-464-4000
Summer is coming to an end, the holidays are approaching, and everyone wonders why I (Jonathan) believe that this is the perfect time to think about becoming a homeowner. As Mon Valley Initiative’s Housing Counselor, I coach potential homeowners every day on making a plan to reach their homeownership goals. Take a look at some of the reasons why I think you should consider homeownership now:
1. Tax refund time is only 5 months away.
It’s no secret that you need money to purchase a home, and maybe you need the money to clear up old debt or collections. Maybe you need some extra money to pay for the closing costs. Either way, if you want to purchase a home, you need to be able to forecast what funds you have coming in and how you plan to use them. Otherwise, we all tend to spend our money on other things.
I have one question – What did you do with 2015 tax refund? Did you use it to make a life changing purchase like a home, or did it go in another direction?
2. Part time holiday jobs are opening up.
Nobody wants to work two jobs forever, but knowing that you will only work an extra part-time job for the holiday season until early January, 2016 would be a light load on you and a big help to your current ability to save. Extra income from taking on a part-time seasonal job is fantastic for saving or paying down debt.
3. There is more time to dedicate to making meaningful life changes.
I don’t know about you, but I love summer and I want to be outside ALL DAY LONG! Now that the weather is cooling off and daylight time is shorter, I could shift some of that time to working on what will make my life better, like getting my finances in order so that I can qualify for a NEW HOME!!
4. You are (hopefully) already thinking about a holiday spending plan.
The key word here is PLAN. A big part of budgeting is setting limits, which isn’t always fun, but it is necessary to reach your financial goals. Planning your holiday spending is critical if you’re thinking of buying a home, so depending on your situation you may want to consider making gifts this year as opposed to buying gifts. It is too easy to make impulse buys during the holiday season, for others and sometimes for yourself. Putting a spending plan in place in time for the holidays will help you to STOP THE IMPULSE PURCHASES!
5. It’s easy to get an appointment with your local Mon Valley Initiative Housing Counselor!
Looking at my monthly calendar, there are open appointments available for the taking as soon as MONDAY. Best of all, our services at Mon Valley Initiative are FREE – just bring $10 for a credit check. If I were considering purchasing a home, I’d think about calling myself right now.
You can contact me any time at 412-464-4000 x. 4008, or email me at jweaver@monvalleyinitiative.com. Best of luck in your search for a new home!