De-Stress Your Home Buying Process – Get Organized

Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. It may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. The best way to keep on top of everything? Get organized. Develop a system and stick to it! Many financial institutions have apps, checklists and guides you can download to create a smooth home buying experience.

Here are some tips to stay organized as you search for and/or buy a home:

  • Keep track of where you’ve been—and what homes you like

As you search various homes, it’s easy to forget what features stood out to you. Did it have walk-in closets? A finished basement? Does it have enough bathrooms? To help you remember the amenities of each house, use a homebuyer’s checklist with detailed information about each property you see, including:

  • The location and style of home
  • Type of construction
  • Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
  • Features, such as fireplace, fenced-in yard and laundry room

There are also many smartphone apps, such as the My New HomeSM app, that can help you keep track of these items and allow you to rate homes and store photos.

  • Have your paperwork together, so you’re ready to apply for a mortgage

You’ll need to collect several documents when you apply for a mortgage. Gathering those now will save you time later. Mortgage lenders usually need:

  • All pay stubs for the past month
  • W-2 tax statements from the past two years (If you’re self-employed, you need two years personal and business taxes.)
  • Bank or investment statements for the past three months
  • The home purchase contract between you and the seller

You should also think about how to best store your documents, such as in an envelope or tabbed binder that fits legal-sized papers, for easy access.

  • Stay on top of contact names, phone numbers, emails.

Your new home search may take months, and involve dozens of people – realtors, salespeople, contractors, appraisers, inspectors, mortgage professionals, consultants, etc.  Making yourself a chart or spreadsheet of contacts with all of their pertinent info will help you keep track of everything – and is easier to maintain than an unwieldy stack of business cards.

  • Get ready to move into your new home

It’ll take some time and organization to prepare for the big move, especially since you’ll likely be closing on your new home at the same time. Even though it will seem as though there aren’t enough hours to get it all done, don’t rush it. Make sure you plan properly, so you have time to do it right and don’t miss, lose or break anything along the way.

Try using a moving timeline to organize your move. It has hints for what to start packing from six weeks out right up to moving day. Plus, there are handy reminders for things you may have not considered, such as filling out a change of address form, notifying your children’s old and new schools, and transferring prescriptions to a new pharmacy.

The bottom line: Buying a new home doesn’t have to make you a ball of stress. By getting organized, you can make the whole process as stress-free as possible.

Weaver Homes is a Pittsburgh and Mars area new homebuilder featuring single family homes patio homes and custom homes. Visit www.weaverhomelive.wpengine.com for more information.

What Are You Doing Memorial Day Weekend?

The federal Memorial Day holiday is generally considered the official opening of summer in the United States. And that usually means a three-day weekend of fun activities. We came up with a list of possibilities…

  • Go to a parade! Thousands of parades are held in towns and cities all over the country.
  • Host a barbecue. Pull out the grill and invite some people over. The winter’s finally over – it’s time to start socializing again.
  • Depending on where you live, head for the pool, beach, mountains or lake! Embrace the change of scenery and relax a little.
  • Summer means the return of festivals, fairs and outdoor concerts. Check your local listings and go have some fun.
  • Start a home project. Whatever you’ve been promising to do, paint, rebuild, fix or replace, get started on it. Heck, be ambitious – finish it this weekend!

For most Americans, Memorial Day means relaxing with friends and family. Many celebrations include only a nominal nod to the true meaning of Memorial Day. This year, take a moment to place flowers or a flag on the grave of a military serviceperson. Visit a national monument or cemetery, or simply take a moment at three in the afternoon to be grateful for those who have given their lives for our country, those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Weaver Homes is a Pittsburgh and Mars area new home builder featuring single family homes patio homes and custom homes. Visit www.weaverhomelive.wpengine.com for more information.

How we Celebrate our Mums

Saturday, May 13, 2017, one of Weaver Homes’ communities, Vista Ridge, held it’s first annual yard sale. Along with the yard sale, to help celebrate Mother’s Day, Weaver Homes distributed mums to all the mom’s that stopped in. Students from Mars Elementary School raised money for Food Network’s campaign “No Kid Hungry” by selling baked goods. We hope your Mother’s Day was just as fun as ours here at Weaver Homes. Vista Ridge is a great community for families who want a private, but connected neighborhood. Weaver Homes doesn’t just build homes, they build communities.