• First and foremost, check your credit. It’s best to know your score in advance to get a good loan. Student loans, car loans, and credit cards are all items that are considered in determining your credit score, make sure you pay these each month when they become due (for credit cards, maintain a balance no higher than 30% of the credit limit, this will help your credit score).

• Save for a down payment: There are many loan products out there for zero down payment, but the more you put down, the better the loan terms.

• Income: You will need income to qualify for a loan. For example, income can be from a job, pension, social security, or investments.

Once you have obtained the above 3 items, contact us for a pre-qualification to let you know what you can afford and your expected payments. You may find you qualify for a much higher loan amount than what you would be comfortable paying, on a monthly basis; make sure you are comfortable with the monthly payment, this will help gauge the loan amount and purchase price of the home you are considering.

The Counsel Mortgage Group can help you through the process! We offer a variety of products and services, ask us how we can assist you today. We work for you, not the lender.