{"id":955,"date":"2025-05-10T13:55:46","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T17:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/?p=955"},"modified":"2025-05-10T21:01:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T01:01:21","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-6-months-before-buying-a-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/what-you-need-to-know-6-months-before-buying-a-home\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need to Know 6 Months Before Buying a Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"May 10, 2025\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8uk9fIvM2-E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Making the decision to buy a new (to you) home doesn\u2019t usually happen overnight. Sure, a savings plan and a Pinterest board are great starting points, but there are things that can save you time, stress, and money if you plan ahead! With adequate time to think, you can really execute a masterful plan. What does that look like? Here are my thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Your Credit Score Matters More Than You Think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, you know it\u2019s important, but you may not realize just how much a few points could change your mortgage rate\u2014and by extension, your monthly payment. If you check your credit report six months out and work on improving it, you might qualifiy for a better rate. Even a 0.25% difference adds up over 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What to do:<\/strong>&nbsp;Check your credit score now. Pay down high-interest debts, avoid new lines of credit, and correct any errors on your report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Pre-Approval Is Not Just a Formality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may assume you\u2019ll get pre-approved closer to when you\u2019re ready to start making offers. In reality, getting pre-approved early gives you a much clearer picture of your budget and shows sellers you&#8217;re serious. Plus, it helps you spot any issues with your financials while there&#8217;s still time to fix them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What to do:<\/strong>&nbsp;Talk to a lender early. Even a pre-qualification (a less formal version of pre-approval) can be a helpful starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Don\u2019t Just Save for a Down Payment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may have saved for the down payment, but don\u2019t underestimate the other costs\u2014closing costs, inspection fees, moving expenses, utility deposits, and furnishing. It adds up fast. Six months out is the perfect time to start building a buffer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What to do:<\/strong>&nbsp;Add 2\u20135% of your target home price to your savings goal for these \u201ccurtain costs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Neighborhood Research Is Gold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spend time getting to know potential neighborhoods\u2014commute times, school ratings (even without kids), safety, resale value, and local amenities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What to do:<\/strong>&nbsp;Drive through neighborhoods at different times of day, chat with locals, and set up Google Alerts for real estate listings and news in those areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Your \u201cMust-Have\u201d List Will Change<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you tour homes and understand what is available in your price range, you\u2019ll learn to prioritize differently\u2014things like good natural light, solid structural condition, and overall layout may become more important than fancy finishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What to do:<\/strong>&nbsp;Make a list, but be open to change. Touring homes\u2014even casually\u2014will help clarify what really matters to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. The Emotional Side Is Real<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Buying a home is exciting, but it is also overwhelming. You may not be prepared for the emotional rollercoaster\u2014hope, disappointment, anxiety, excitement\u2014all often within the same week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What to do:<\/strong>&nbsp;Build a support system. Whether it\u2019s your partner, a trusted friend, or a real estate agent who genuinely has your back, having someone to talk through decisions with is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re six months out from buying a home, you\u2019re in a powerful position: you have time. Use it wisely. Educate yourself, prepare your finances, and approach the process with both heart and strategy. Future you will be grateful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Making the decision to buy a new (to you) home doesn\u2019t usually happen overnight. Sure, a savings plan and a Pinterest board are great starting points, but there are things that can save you time, stress, and money if you plan ahead! With adequate time to think, you can really execute a masterful plan. What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-homebuyer","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/What-to-Know-6-Months-Before-Buying-a-Home.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=955"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":962,"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/955\/revisions\/962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stacygrove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}