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Eliminating the Stress in Buying a House

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Buying a house is stressful. At least, that’s what I hear. As someone who is planning on buying a house within the next few years, I want to make sure my experience is stress free… or at least as stress free as humanly possible. That’s why I decided to do a little sleuthing to see if I could uncover some tips and tricks to improve the home buying experience so that you can enjoy the process as much as possible. 

Tip #1: Use a Real Estate Agent

Simple, right? Using a real estate agent will definitely cut down on the amount of stress you feel while purchasing a house, especially if you’re working with someone you can trust. Yet as of 2020, 12% of people still don’t use them. Why?

Well, most people who aren’t using a real estate agent are looking to save money. This can work out if you’re already familiar with the property and are buying from someone you trust, like a family member. But if you’re looking at properties that you’re not familiar with, it has the potential to lead to all sorts of issues. Long-term, not using a realtor has the potential to cause far more stress than using one.

But what about the money? Well, using a realtor may not be as expensive as you think. Of course, it’s not free either. You will need to pay realtor fees. But the real estate agent’s commission generally comes from the seller, not the buyer. So, it may not add up to quite as much as you expect.

Using a real estate agent does come with its own stresses (we’ll get to some of those later) but overall, it’s the correct choice for most people.

Tip #2: Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

While doing my digging, I decided to reach out to our team of Mobile Mortgage Specialists to see what the number one tip they would give prospective home buyers was. The answer was nearly unanimous: get pre-approved for a mortgage!

What exactly does that mean? Well, it’s just like it sounds. Having a mortgage pre-approval means that a lender has reviewed your financial information and has determined that they would be willing to provide you with a mortgage to buy a house. Having this in-hand while you’re shopping for a home makes it easier for agents and sellers to take you seriously and can possibly save you from future disappointment.

Don’t believe me? Here’s what Lehanne Potts, one of our Mobile Mortgage Specialists, had to say about getting a preapproved mortgage:

“Getting pre-approved for a mortgage is your first step towards homeownership! It’s important whether you’re a first-time home buyer or an experienced purchaser. When you have a pre-approval, you can shop confidently knowing that you are looking in the right price range. And if there are any issues with the application, we’re able to develop a game plan to set you up for success in the future. By taking this very important first step, you can help avoid any disappointment or frustration that may come along if you skip this process.”

Tip #3: Know When to Compromise

Home buying involves compromise. Odds are that you aren’t going to find that perfect home with the attached two car garage, huge walk-in closet in the master bedroom, partially covered back deck with a hot tub. And if you do find a house that has everything you want? Odds are that it’s probably going to cost twice as much as you can afford. What I’m trying to say is, it’s important to know what sorts of things you’re willing to compromise on and which ones you aren’t before you get started.

The budget for your home isn’t something that you should typically be making changes to halfway through the process. A study by homes.com in 2018 showed that 13% of people feel that they overpaid for their home. That’s not a good feeling and it’s not one that’s going to go away anytime soon either. Avoid bidding wars and stay away from spending above your budget on the things you “want” for your house (like that hot tub) and focus on the things you “need” your house to have (like enough bedrooms for your growing family).

Another thing you don’t need to compromise on is your timeline. I know I was just talking about how great realtors are a few paragraphs ago, but sometimes they will try to get you to work on their schedule instead of your own. That’s because they’re likely working with several potential home buyers and the sooner you purchase your future home, the sooner they can switch their attention to helping someone else.

Well, that speed has the potential to add stress. There are a lot of important things to do and decisions to make during the home buying process, even after you’ve put an offer in, and this is not something you want to feel rushed while doing. If you are feeling the pressure to move through the process too quickly, talk to your realtor and let them know you need more time.

Tip #4: Talk to Someone Who’s Done It Before

There are a lot of things to consider when you’re buying a house – more than we could possibly cover in just this one blog. It can be overwhelming, especially if you’re buying a home for the first time (and if you are a first-time home buyer, you might want to check this blog out as well). Like so many things in life, it can start to become clearer and you will start to feel better if you talk to someone about it.

Obviously, you can always go to your realtor to ask them questions. But you can also learn a lot by speaking to other people in your life who have already gone through the process of owning their own home. They might have great tips to share with you about what they thought they did well when buying their house. Or, more likely, they might be able to share things they wish they’d done differently during their own home buying experience.

To test this out, I decided to ask some homeowners from my own life what advice they’d have for me. Here’s what they had to say:

“Buying a new house for the first time can be filled with a lot of emotions – but the first one should always be excitement!

If I could go back to the first time my husband & I bought a house, I would make sure I sat down and prioritized a “wants” and “needs” list. My needs list would be the things that the house would HAVE to have and I would not budge on. The wants list would be filled with things that I really want in my first home, but that when push came to shove, I could sacrifice. For example, something that was on my needs list was three upstairs bedrooms and something that was on my wants list was an attached garage. I ended up sacrificing my attached garage in order to find something with three bedrooms upstairs.

Don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the process – you only get to be a first-time homeowner once!”

– Amanda, Moose Jaw

“As a first-time homebuyer, I found working with an experienced realtor to be extremely beneficial throughout the process. I had lots of questions, and they were able to answer everything I asked in terms I could easily understand. By using a realtor, I found that it took a lot of the stress of the process off my shoulders. I would also recommend doing your research into the home buying process beforehand so that you are able to ask the important questions.”

– Jarvis, Watrous

“I would recommend that people shop around. Don’t let the real estate agent dictate what you do or the speed you do it at – they are there to serve your needs. Also, make sure you get a house inspection. If you can’t afford one, you probably can’t afford a house.”

– Eric, Swift Current

The Answer to The Question…

So, can buying a house be totally stress-free? Honestly, probably not. There’s always going to be a certain level of stress that comes with making such a costly and impactful purchase.

But as I’ve learned while writing this, there are a lot of things that you can do to reduce the amount of stress you feel throughout the process. By using the tips in this blog as a starting point, you’ll be setting yourself up for a successful experience.

Happy house hunting!

Basement Renovations: The Expected/Unexpected Costs

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If you’ve been watching a lot of HGTV during the pandemic and have been mapping out your home renovation, this blog will go through the expected and unexpected costs of getting the job done so you can start hammering down your renovations budget. 

When we moved into our house, like many people, there was an unfinished basement. And like many people, we had a plan to eventually finish it but instead it became a bit of a dumping ground for everything that didn’t fit anywhere else. We’d talk about how great it would be for everything to have a place but we just didn’t have the time to commit to it.

Fast forward a couple of years and we decided it was time. My husband had a break in work which meant he was home and we were in a pandemic so time wasn’t an excuse anymore. Also, with the new Home Renovation Tax Credit announced by the Saskatchewan Government, we would be able to save money. We had talked about hiring someone to come in, but we didn’t think it was too big of a job and we were up for the challenge! Plus, I’d seen lots of friends posting their reno pics and I was inspired to take on my own home project.

We decided on a floor plan, bought the lumber, purchased tools (that I still maintain we don’t need), grabbed the insulation and got to work!

The Physical Costs

What about the permit?

You may be asking yourself, “Didn’t you forget a step? Don’t you need a permit for a renovation like that?” Yes, you are correct, we did need a permit and more importantly, it was the first thing we did after deciding on our floor plan. As part of the permit application, we had to submit the floor plan to make sure that it passed building code and there wasn’t anything we had done wrong. I know this is one of those topics that a lot of people have an opinion on and I’m not going to judge people for whether or not they choose to get a permit, however, if you don’t get one and an inspector drives past your house and notices renos are happening without a permit, you can be fined. Plus, if you ever want to sell your house, you’re going to want to make sure you have gotten all the necessary permits to prevent any issues. If you are looking to do renos at all, including building a deck, check in with your city or rural municipality office, most can be found online like for Regina.

Don’t forget that there is a cost to the permit that is based on the square footage of the space and there will be a slight increase to your property taxes. However, there is also an increase to your property value!

Amateur vs Professional

Although we decided to finish the basement ourselves to save money, there are some things that had to be done by a professional. Because we are in an attached townhouse and share a wall with our neighbours, we had to have an electrician come in and do all of the electrical work and pull that part of the permit. This was a cost we hadn’t budgeted for and cost over $3,000 (thank goodness for tax returns). To be honest, I definitely feel more comfortable having a professional do the electrical work because there is history in my family of amateur electrical work that ended in a bathroom fan switch turning on a closet light in another room.

Materials

One thing I learned is that there are some materials that are necessary to the project and you just can’t get away from and there are other materials that are “necessary” to your husband. Lumber, insulation, drywall, nails, screws, mud, tape, sand paper, primer, paint, paint supplies, flooring, lights – all things that are absolutely necessary. A new drill, an air nailer, a new TV and some other tools I don’t even remember the names of – nice to haves that you may have to convince your building partner out of. Right now, lumber prices are higher than normal and that’s not something you can get away from. For us, the following tips helped us to stay within budget:

  1. Research what materials cost with a quick trip to your local hardware store.
  2. Talk to the professionals working at the hardware store. I was on a first name basis with quite a few people at Lowe’s. They can help advise how much product you will actually need.
  3. Build your budget once you know how much the materials cost. Remember to add in a bit of extra room for when you inevitably break pieces of drywall or dump an entire bucket of mud.
  4. Borrow tools from friends or family rather than buying for one project.
  5. Buy things in bulk and on sale when possible.

The Mental Costs

It will take time

Unlike what I was led to believe from home reno shows on HGTV, it does not take a week or two to finish an entire basement – well not without an entire team of professionals anyway. I knew it would take time, but didn’t expect to be sitting here almost a year later and just be painting. At first we had talked about it being done for Christmas 2020, and now our goal is fall 2021. My one bit of advice on this is to be realistic in your timelines, especially when working full-time. It can feel a bit disappointing to not have it done, but it’s so important to celebrate the wins from each stage!

There will be dust

One of the things I didn’t realize, was how much dust is involved in renovating. Between the sawdust from framing, the drywall dust, and the sanding there was dust everywhere. I was sweeping, vacuuming and washing the basement floor often at first, but it became an exercise in futility as there was so much dust in the air that would fall over night that it was so overwhelming. I accepted that it was a construction zone and I’d do what I could and do a big clean at the end.

Almost done

Within the next week we should have all the painting and flooring done so I can move things downstairs and get the basement set up and I absolutely can’t wait. While the physical costs, money and body aches, were more than I expected, it was the mental costs of living in a construction zone I was completely taken surprise by. But nothing will compare to being able to go downstairs and feel so much pride that we did it ourselves.

Will I do it again? Maybe on a much smaller scale like a painting a wall, but doubtful we’ll tackle an entire floor of a house. I don’t have much experience with DIYing and I want to give so much credit and kudos to people who do it often – it’s exhausting!

What I Learned From Buying a House During COVID-19

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Sorry, Dorothy – repeating “there’s no place like home” will not wake you up from the nightmare that 2020 has trapped us in BUT there may be no time like the present to look into buying a new home during a global pandemic. After years of saving (and with a lot of help from our 2020 trip budget), my husband and I were able to buy our first house together. If you are wondering what it is like to house hunt during a worldwide virus outbreak – it was a different experience but one that I am happy I did and learned a lot from. This is what I learned from buying a house during COVID-19.

The Search

When you start getting serious about looking for a house, you start thinking about your criteria. How many bedrooms do you want? What end of the city do you want to live? To reno or not to reno? For us, our dream home originally came complete with an open concept, finished basement and a garage, but quarantine caused us to move some other things up in priority. For example, a home office became suddenly mandatory after I spent months hunched over on a wooden seat at the island in my kitchen. My point is, a few things changed, but it is important to assess what are your must-haves and what has some wiggle room to change.

We had to be very selective when physically viewing houses for a couple reasons. For starters, open house viewings were now a thing of the past so we had to book an appointment to be able to visit. Second, there were procedures put in place to make the experience of buying a home during COVID-19 safe for both us house hunters and the home owners. For example:

  • Prior to entering, we had to participate in a questionnaire to consent that we did not have any symptoms and have not traveled within the past 14 days
  • Out of respect and safety for the home owners, we were told to touch minimal things and whatever we did touch was disinfected afterwards
  • We made sure to keep our 6 feet distance from our realtor, which is hard to do when viewing a house

If anything, these procedures made us feel that both sides were being respected, provided a safe environment and really didn’t add that much more time. It did however, encourage us to really make the most of our time at each location and be very intentional and thorough to decide if this home was an option for us. Overall, it was different – but we found our home!

The Payment

COVID-19 or no COVID-19, figuring out your financing is a big component when you’re making one of the most expensive purchases of your life. You need to know how much you can comfortably afford with your mortgage and bills all factored in, furnishing your new home, plus, you’ve got to eat! For us, as big travelers in a travel ban world, we were able to reallocate our savings for trips for this year into furnishing our home. My advice would be to review what has changed in your finances or savings during COVID-19 and how that will adjust going forward – there is no shame in changing up your plans!

One very important bonus right now for those looking to buy a new home is that the interest rates are low. That’s great news for buyers as the cost of borrowing is much lower so you’ll pay a lot less in the long run. Now more than ever, it is incredibly important to shop around before locking in your lender and the terms of your mortgage. This rate finder tool from Rate Hub gives you a one-stop shop to compare mortgage rates from the Big Banks. But don’t just choose one from there, make sure to shop around via other options like your local credit union or the financial institution you work with for your day-to-day banking. Your financial advisor will be able to work with you to find a mortgage that fits your overall financial well-being and some may even offer lower rates altogether.

Here’s a hot tip for buying a house during COVID-19 that I learned from my realtor: when chatting with your financial institution, be sure to ask what they offer for an interest rate guarantee. An interest rate guarantee or mortgage rate hold, is locking in a specific rate for a certain number of days, so you will be guaranteed that rate even if they go up during your house hunting journey. This is important right now because as the market recovers from COVID-19, the interest rate will continue to rise back up so placing a hold on these low rates will buy you some time to make sure you are being thorough in your house search.

Even if the mortgage rate goes down, some financial institutions will honor the decreased rate. I will admit, I had a mini celebration each time I saw the rate drop before we officially signed our documents. For more helpful tidbits on mortgages during COVID-19, visit this blog we published earlier this month on how COVID-19 affects the renewal of your mortgage.

The Closure

Closing costs and the process it takes can be the most frustrating part of purchasing a home. Although, I wish it was under different circumstances, some of these processes have become quite efficient during COVID-19. Typically, once you are ready to sign on the dotted line – you end up having to do that many times and over many appointments across the city. Because of COVID-19, we were able to sign almost everything digitally including realtor agreements, mortgage documents, insurance and even signing the offer. There were some signatures needed in person with our lawyer but with the new procedures in place – it was quick, easy and safe!

Buying a house during COVID-19 maybe wasn’t the norm, but I was happy with the process and found it much more streamlined. It has been super exciting and has been a source of light in an otherwise dark time. Now we can reminisce on the Facetime bloopers with our realtor and cheers to building back up that trip fund over a distanced drink on our patio!

Home for sale sign

Mortgage stress tests: what to know

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Keep hearing the term mortgage ‘stress’ test but unsure what it means to you. In this blog, we break it all down for you and provide advice on what you should consider when it comes to your mortgage.

There has been a lot of talk about the new mortgage restrictions aka “mortgage stress tests”. But with all the coverage and information out there, what does this actually mean and how does it impact you?

Starting Jan. 1, 2018, if you’re applying for a new mortgage (e.g., buying a new home), re-advancing an amount on your mortgage (e.g., renovations), or switching your mortgage to another financial institution, you’ll be subject to a “stress test”. What this means is that your advisor will assess your finances and qualifications based on a higher interest rate than what they are today.

What many don’t know is this process is already in existence for people applying for mortgages with a down payment of less than 20% of the home purchase price or those with a term of less than five years. The new restrictions will now include those who have a larger down payment and longer term time.

Credit unions are not governed federally, and provincially are not legally bound to comply with these new restrictions. However, as a mindful and trusted community partner, many credits unions already have similar policies to ensure our member’s financial well-being is a long-term focus.

“Approving a member for a mortgage that they could not afford to repay over the long term, simply to satisfy a higher purchase price, does not agree with our values as a credit union, nor increase a person’s financial wellness,” said Kris Wanner, Manager, Financial Services, Conexus Credit Union. “Also, it doesn’t promote community growth, all of which are key components to our cooperative.”

This “stress test” is being put into place to protect homeowners from rising interest rates which may impact their overall finances.  Lending rates have been at a historically low level for a number of years. Lately, we’ve seen a rise in interest rates which speaks to the why behind this stress test.

By factoring your ability to repay, and in turn how much they can spend on a home purchase, at a higher rate of interest provides you peace of mind knowing the greatest asset (and largest borrowing) you will ever have is something you can afford to repay.  It also presents the opportunity for you and your advisor to discuss the difference between “What I qualify for” and “What I can afford”.

“Being aware of your finances and your plans will give you a better understanding of what you can afford and not feel stressed,” said Wanner. “It’s also important to think of all variables when looking at affordability. Many times people forget of other expenses, which can cause them financial stress in the future.”

When it comes time to applying for a mortgage or renewing your mortgage, take a broad look at your finances and your plans – look back at what’s changed and where you want to go. Don’t forget to also look at all other factors and expenses that may be associated with homeownership, such as:

  • Property taxes;
  • Condo fees;
  • Utility bills;
  • Insurance; and
  • Home security.

Other expenses such as loan and credit card payments, food, entertainment, etc. are also important to consider.

Homeownership all starts by understanding the money you have and what you spend. Once you have an understanding, you can then create a holistic plan that works for you.

If you have any questions on what you just read or would like further information on mortgages, ask in the comments below or click the ‘Talk to us about banking button’ below to contact us.