Question 1

What should I consider when buying a home for the first time?

Accepted Answer

First and foremost, buying a home is a very involved process with many moving parts. Especially for the first time, we recommend working with an experienced Real Estate Broker who will help you prepare and know what to expect every step of the way. Once you have good help on your side, next start considering WHERE exactly you want to live. What neighborhood? What schools districts do you want to be in? What amenities do you want to be near? Once we know where you want to be, we can begin the most fun part of the process, the home search!

Question 2

What types of loans are out there for me? (first time home buyer vs. other purchase)

Accepted Answer

Most people think they need to save 20-25% up for their down payment before they can even consider buying a home... Get excited because we have great news! There are many loan options out there with much, much lower down payment requirements making homeownership that much closer for many! You may be able to put as little as 3.5% down depending on your situation. Reach out to us and we can help you get started and dial in your options. If you're a Veteran, there are even more loan options available for you.

Question 3

Can Box handle everything from browsing to purchasing?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. If it's real estate, we would love to help you in your search.

Question 4

How long does it take to purchase a home?

Accepted Answer

This can vary widely depending on where you are in the home buying process. However, from the moment you find "the one" that you love and make an accepted offer for that home, typically you will be closing within 30-60 days after that moment! There are many steps leading up to that moment but we help guide you through them all!

Question 5

Why should I buy instead of renting?

Accepted Answer

Home ownership comes with many, many benefits compared to renting. You get to OWN where you live. If you want to paint the wall, paint the wall! Improvements you make to the property are yours to keep! Also don't forget that if the market increases, then you get the benefit of that increase! Long term property ownership has helped many people grow large amounts of equity in their property. Oftentimes that equity is among their largest assets as they reach retirement age. There's no guarantee the real estate market will continue to increase, however every payment you make pays down a chunk of your mortgage. Over time, you owe less and less against your home if you continue to pay it down!

Question 6

How do I know how much I can afford?

Accepted Answer

How much you can afford varies huge-ly depending on your income and your monthly committed payments (car payments, student loan payments, credit card payments, etc.). Reach out and we would be happy to help you dig in and figure out exactly what price of home you could afford. With today's low interest rates, you might just surprise yourself!

Question 7

What does my monthly mortgage payment cover?

Accepted Answer

Prior to buying, we will help you connect with an expert mortgage professional who will be on your team through the entire process. They'll help you understand everything about the loans you qualify for. In many cases, your monthly mortgage payment will include your principal and interest payment on your loan, plus your monthly taxes and insurance payment.

Question 8

How do property taxes work?

Accepted Answer

Property taxes are very commonly paid monthly by you, the homeowner, and included with your mortgage payment. This keeps you from having a huge tax bill at the end of each year.

Question 9

Do I need mortgage insurance?

Accepted Answer

If you're planning to put less than 20% down payment on a home then it is very likely your lender will require mortgage insurance. Don't stress, however, as often times this mortgage insurance can be paid in small amounts monthly if desired. In terms of your monthly mortgage payment, this sometimes becomes a small piece of that pie.

Question 10

What range should my credit be in before browsing available homes?

Accepted Answer

At the beginning of the process we will help you connect with some of the best mortgage lenders in your area. That mortgage lender will look at your financial picture with us and help us determine how much you can afford put a plan together for your home search!

Question 11

Will you guys help me negotiate?

Accepted Answer

Your BOX Real Estate Broker will help guide you through the entire home buying process. When you become a client of ours, we have a fiduciary responsibility to help you negotiate the best possible terms and look out for ALL of your interests all the way to closing.

Question 12

What does a seller need to disclose when selling?

Accepted Answer

The Seller is required to disclose any and all material facts or defects known about the home. You as the Buyer will get the chance to review any and all of these facts disclosed to you and investigate them as much as you like during your inspection period.

Question 13

When is the best time to sell my home?

Accepted Answer

The current real estate market has low interest rates available to buyers and a ton of buyer demand! Now is a great time to sell. Typically, spring and summer months specifically see some of the highest prices and most buyer activity in a calendar year.

Question 14

Whats steps should I take as I prepare to list my home for sale?

Accepted Answer

This may surprise you, but often times the best steps in preparing your home for sale are not big things like remodeling the kitchen! Often times new carpet and new coats of paint are the largest updates required to help you achieve your goals as we put your home on the open market. Every home and situation is unique... so if you would like advice from a pro in your area, reach out and we can help you put a plan together that maximizes your money and time investments!

Question 15

How do I determine how much my home is worth right now?

Accepted Answer

The best way to determine how much your home may be worth right now is to reach out to someone like us. We will have a licensed, professional, Real Estate Broker connect with you and put together a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) specifically for your home. We will then sit down with you and explain any and all things related to your home, the CMA, and the current real estate market.

Question 16

What are seller concessions?

Accepted Answer

When we make an offer on a home listed on the market, often times we may ask for the Seller to contribute to your purchase in some way. This often comes in the form of a credit if there is work that needs done that you'll take on. The Seller may also complete the work before closing! It all depends on the situation but when the Seller contributes to your purchase, that effort, and sometimes those dollars, are considered Seller Concessions.

Question 17

How do you plan on marketing my home?

Accepted Answer

BOX Real Estate gets your property to where the Buyers are. We ensure that your listing is getting incredible exposure both physically in the neighborhood, and most importantly online. We monitor the Buyer engagement regularly and consistently request feedback from other Brokers who show or tour your home. Communication is extremely important to us, so we provide constant feedback to our clients letting them know how activity is for listing very regularly.

Question 18

How much should I expect to save for closing costs?

Accepted Answer

Early in the process when we meet with your mortgage professional, that mortgage pro will help provide you with a good faith estimate of ALL costs you can reasonably expect if you were to purchase a property at the price you are planning for. We can also confirm with title companies that we may work with how much to expect in closing costs should we work with them to purchase your home.

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