Ready to buy a home, condo, or mult-family? We can help in a number of different ways.

Home ownership is something that everyone aspires to for many, is both an opportunity and a challenge, a happy time and a sad time, and is most certainly a time of change.

To ensure that your home purchase, be your first home, a vacation home or an investment, meets all of your needs, you should put some thought into and prepare for the purchase. You should consider things like the new home's location, its proximity to shopping, schools and medical facilties. You should consider lifestyle - and 'stage of life'. You're also going to want to think about financing - eveything from the downpayment to insurance, utilities, taxes and yes - the mortgage. (In today's marketplace, its very likely that your mortgage payment would be something less than rent!)

To help you prepare for your purchase, we've gathered a few resources that we thing might help prepare you for that all important next-home. We've collected a few videos, a few articles, a few 'lists' of local sources of finance, and of course - we're also here to provide personal service to walk you through the process.

The benefits of home ownership

• Tax Breaks
• Appreciation
• Equity
• Savings
• Predictability
• Freedom
• Stability

Preparing to buy a home

• Before jumping right in, think about the type of home you'd like. Condo? Single Family Home? Multi-Facmilty Home?
• Consider where you want to live. Factor in work - and play in your decision.
• Are you ready, financially? Can you manage insurance, taxes, and the monthly payment?
• On average, you'll be in a home for at least 5 years, so, take time to think through your purchase

Home Buying Does and Dont's

In this brief video, Julie Howarth, Homeownership Coordinator with NeighborWorks member UNHS NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center in Utica, NY clears up the myths and gives homebuyers the real scoop on buying a home.