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Rising inflation rates caused increased prices in building materials and, therefore, homes. If you’re like millions of others, you’ve held off on building your dream home, hoping that prices would fall again.

The unfortunate truth is that real estate prices won’t fall within the next few years, so the question is, should you build your forever home in 2023?

The answer for most people is yes, as long as you can afford it.

Here’s why.

You Can’t go Back in Time

Building your dream home in 2019 would have cost a lot less, but we can’t go back there. Prices won’t reverse, and no one has a time machine to go back in time.

So instead, it’s time to take control of the future. What you can do is lock in today’s prices. The good news is lumber prices aren’t as crazy high as they were this time last year, so you’ll save some money on materials.

That’s not to say they are as low as before the pandemic. However, that’s par for the course, even without a world crisis.

You can Cut Corners

Even though you’re building your dream house, you can cut corners. I don’t mean you must sacrifice what you have in your house. Instead, you can find cheaper ways to make them happen, including DIY.

For example, if you’re handy and can install cabinets or take on another task in building the home, you’ll save money on the labor and still get what you want in the home.

You’re Investing in your Future

When you build your forever home, you’re investing in your future. Real estate goes through cycles, but overall, it appreciates. Even with higher prices for lumber and labor today, you’ll see a return on your investment if you keep the home long-term.

You can Build What you Want

When you build your own home, you get what you want rather than buying an existing home and taking what’s available. If this is your forever home, you can put the features in it that will last for your intended duration.

You can Refinance your Mortgage

Even if you have to take higher interest rates than you intended to build a home, you can refinance the mortgage in the future. This is because interest rates won’t stay high forever; eventually, they will come down, even if it takes a few years.

Final Thoughts

Now could be the perfect time to build your forever home. Even if it’s not the home you’ll live in for your lifetime, as long as you stay there for three to five years, you may see a return on your investment.

While higher material and labor prices can be prohibitive right now, your investment will pay off in the future. If you want to learn more about the pros and cons of building your forever home, contact me today, and let’s discuss your options

Buying a house is exciting, but it can feel like it takes forever to get from the offer to the closing table.

On average, it takes 30 – 45 days to get to the closing table, and that’s in a perfect situation. Sometimes you may close faster or slower, but keep 30 – 45 days in mind when signing a sales contract.

The Process to Close on a House

The house closing process is complex. Not only must you find the house you want to buy, but you must sort out your financing. Here’s a quick rundown of the typical timeline.

Get Pre-Approved

Start the process by getting pre-approved with a lender. This tells you how much you can afford, on what terms and the conditions you must satisfy.

A pre-approval letter also gets your foot in more doors with sellers. Most sellers only want to work with pre-approved buyers.

Find a Home

Once pre-approved, you can look at homes. Pre-approvals usually last 30 – 60 days, so it works best if you can find a home within that time.

You’ll sign a sales contract when you find a home and negotiate the price and terms. The sales contract starts the clock, which is why getting pre-approved is essential. After that, you’ll have a majority of your personal underwriting completed.

Submit your Contract and Order the Title and Appraisal

After signing a contract, you’ll submit your sales contract to the underwriter, and they’ll order a title search and appraisal on the property.

In the meantime, you’ll provide any missing documentation or updates the lender needs to finish underwriting your qualifying factors.

Get the Clear to Close

Your goal in underwriting is to get the clear to close. This happens after the appraisal, title search, and your qualifying factors pass the underwriter’s requirements. Then, with the clear to close, you’re ready to head to the closing table.

Receive your Closing Disclosure

Lenders must send you the Closing Disclosure before the closing. By law, they must send it at least three business days before you close. This allows you time to review your loan terms, costs, and interest rate to ensure everything looks how the lender initially promised.

If everything looks good, you get your cashier’s check or bank wire to close the loan and get ready to become a homeowner.

Closing the Loan

The last step is to close the loan. You’ll attend the closing with your attorney, loan officer, possibly the sellers, and a closing agent. You’ll sign documents and disclosures, exchange funds, and receive the keys to your new home.

Final Thoughts

Typically it takes 30 to 45 days to close on a house, but there can be delays. The key to avoiding them is to get pre-approved for your loan and satisfy any conditions the underwriter needs. Once you find a house, the only conditions you’ll have to focus on are those about the house, many of which are outside your control.