Real Estate Topics and Tidbits

                                                            image from realtor.com Nichole Whitmire, Cumming, GA Real Estate Associate | RE/MAX Regency (remax.com) When you decide you're ready to become a homeowner, one of the most important preparation steps is to get pre-approved for your home loan.  Here's a few reasons listed below why pre-approval matters. Let's you know any credit issues that need attention beforehand . Getting pre-approved for your home loan means your lender will evaluate your credit resulting in your awareness of any issues. Potential credit issues could catch you by surprise and cause you to miss out on your dream home if waiting to seek a lender after your home search has begun.  Let's you know your price limits of your potential new home.  Knowing the price range of your pre-approved home loan allows the Realtor and you to focus on properties that fit your wishes and your budget. This prevents unnecessary letdowns on homes that may be outsid

  Nichole Whitmire, Cumming, GA Real Estate Associate | RE/MAX Regency (remax.com)   If you've decided that you are ready to pursue homeownership but your credit is not quite ready, here are a few tips to get your credit moving in the right direction. Some of the following tips can boost your credit score quickly while others may take time to show improvement but stay focused on your goal of an overall better credit score. Check for any errors - check your credit reports for any information that you feel is incorrect. You can contact the credit reporting agency regarding inaccurate or incorrect information on your credit report. As soon as you realize an error you should begin the process to dispute the error with the credit reporting agency. Check credit card balances  - lower your total credit card utilization ratio (sum of credit card balances divided by the sum of credit card limits) as necessary. Try not to add new large purchases on your credit cards and actively pay down bal