Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying Your First Home

Buying a home is one of the most important decisions a person can make and comes with a host of key considerations, new responsibilities, and varied expenses. Ask yourself these essential questions as you enter the homebuying process, and if you require assistance with saving for a down payment or building your credit, check out our renowned Rent to Home Solution for a solution that allows you to save for a down payment while you’re living in your home.

Why Do I Want to Own a Home?

The first step of any homebuying process should be to ask yourself why you want to be a homeowner in the first place.

Do you take pride in the idea of homeownership? Do you long to renovate and customize your space? Do you like the idea of investing and building equity? Are you excited about the idea of putting down roots and participating in a community? All of these considerations are reasons why you may want to own your home.

What Are My Long-Term Plans?

Owning a home is a long-term commitment. With renting, leases typically last for one year and with no investment in the property, you can leave with minimal notice if your plans change.

With a mortgage, you’ve made a significant investment, and after the first year, you’ll have built very little equity. If you then decide to sell, you’ll likely lack the funds to cover the costs.

If you have dreams of living somewhere else or aren’t sure where you may be in 3-5 years, homeownership may not be the right fit for you.

Can I Qualify for a Mortgage?

The next step in your homebuying journey is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. Banks and brokers require information such as your income, credit score, and account balances. Applicants with poor credit, no credit, or unstable employment history may have a difficult time qualifying for a mortgage.

If you are struggling to qualify for a traditional mortgage, there is hope! Our Rent to Home Solution allows you to rent your dream home from us for a set term (typically 3 years) to allow you save money and build your credit score. At the end of the term, you’ll have the option to purchase your home from us, fulfilling your dreams of homeownership sooner than you may have otherwise.

Can I Afford to Own a Home?

Homeownership comes with many costs and responsibilities that you may find overwhelming if you aren’t financially prepared.

Consider the cost of your down payment, closing costs, and lawyer fees, as well as regular expenses such as property taxes, home insurance, and mortgage payments. As a homeowner, you’re also responsible for maintenance and repairs, plus any improvements you may want to make.

If you may initially struggle to afford a home, our Rent to Home Solution may help you save money for a down payment and other expenses while you live in your home.

Where Do I Want to Purchase My Home?

Since owning a home is a long-term commitment, where you live is almost as important as the home itself.

Research the neighbourhood your new home is located in and to gauge whether it’s a place you’d enjoy living. How close are amenities like groceries, shopping, etc? How close is it to your workplace, and is the commute manageable? Is there access to public transport, or will you need a vehicle?

Where you want to live also depends on your lifestyle. If you’re a young professional, you may enjoy being closer to downtown, with access to restaurants and nightlife. On the other hand, if you have a young family, you’ll likely value a family-oriented neighbourhood with schools, parks, libraries, and kid-friendly activities.

Discover Your Path to Homeownership with JAAG Properties

If you’re having difficulty qualifying for a traditional mortgage, you aren’t alone. Newcomers to Canada, recently divorced clients, clients with low or no credit, and self-employed clients all regularly struggle to qualify. Our Rent to Home Solution can help you discover a new path to homeownership, helping you save money, build your credit score, and achieve your dreams faster. Contact us today for more information!

How’s the next generation ever going to buy a home?

Have you ever considered how the next generation will afford to buy a home?

For many young adults, the dream of future homeownership may seem completely out of reach. They face an unstable housing market, with record high prices and limited affordable inventory. As well, there is the threat of rising interest rates and inflation, which makes ever purchasing a home seem even more unlikely.

Not to mention, by the time they’re wanting to step into homeownership…

  • Most will have struggled to save enough for a down payment
  • Many will have acquired too much debt
  • Some will have had difficulty generating sufficient household income

All of which could prevent them from qualifying for traditional financing and getting approved for a mortgage.

So, what’s the solution?

Options seem few and far between, and the results can be detrimental.

  • The bank of mom and dad
  • Rent and pray
  • Never leave home

For those struggling to get a mortgage, the options appear to be limited and loathsome. No one wants to tap into their parents’ retirement savings to get started. Few people ever get out of the rent cycle after they’re in it. And, who really wants to live in their parent’s basement forever?

These aren’t solutions!

The solution needs to be comprehensive.

It needs to include a plan that gets future home buyers into a house today, helps them build their credit score and save for a down payment, and sets them up to qualify for traditional financing.

The next generation shouldn’t have to give up on their dreams of homeownership. The future of home buying may seem uncertain, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Despite having few reasonable options available to them, JAAG’s Rent to Home Solution provides today’s young adults with a safe and reliable method of purchasing a home.

Over 200 future homeowners have discovered their true homebuying potential through JAAG’s Rent to Home Solution — A Simple 4 Step Framework that gives newcomers to the housing market a chance to experience homeownership immediately

Check out JAAG’s Rent to Home Solution

By utilizing JAAG’s Rent to Home Solution, future homebuyers can make their goal of homeownership a reality.

They can experience the stability and freedom to live, decorate, and renovate the way they want. They can enjoy the peace of mind and happiness that comes with homeownership. And they can secure financial freedom while investing in their own home.

The next generation doesn’t have to let traditional financing prevent them from becoming a homeowner.

They can put an end to the rejections with JAAG’s Rent to Home Solution. By utilizing the Simple 4 Step Plan, they can get on the path to homeownership today and start enjoying the benefits of owning their own home immediately.

What is Rent-to-Own Housing?

In real estate, the term rent-to-own (RTO) typically refers to an innovative homeownership solution, wherein a potential homebuyer enters into a lease-purchase agreement.  The process usually consists of four main parts:

  1. Finding and moving into a home today.
  2. Renting for a predetermined period of time (typically 36 to 48 months).
  3. Strengthening credit and finances to qualify for a mortgage.
  4. Purchasing the home at the end of the contract for a predetermined amount.

Rent-to-own agreements are designed to help get people get into homeownership sooner by offering an alternative financing solution. Someone who is struggling to qualify for a mortgage can enter into a lease-purchase contract with a trusted rent-to-own company, like JAAG Properties, enabling them to move into their future home today. [*]

Potential homeowners have the option to enter into a rent-to-own lease agreement for a set period of time (typically 36 to 48 months), with the option to purchase the home at the end for a predetermined price — (The final purchase price is agreed upon at the beginning of the contract. And the house will be sold at the agreed upon price, regardless of fluctuations in the market by the end of the deal). [*]

During the lease period of the rent-to-own contract, the “tenant” is required to make monthly payments. A portion of the monthly payment is credited towards the future down payment on the home, while the remainder is collected as monthly rental fees. [*]

Potential homeowners are expected to use the lease period of the rent-to-own contract to improve their chances to qualify for a mortgage at the end of the agreement. This could mean working with credit teams to improve finances and address credit issues. [*]

A successful rent-to-own contract results in the tenant having enough funds for the down payment, getting approved for a mortgage, and purchasing the home at the end of the predetermined time period. [*]

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Learn more about JAAG’s Rent to Home Solution at JAAGPROPERTIES.COM.

To get started, call us at 1-866-JAAG-NOW (that’s 1-866-522-4669).

Have a question? Email us at INFO@JAAGPROPERTIES.COM.