Making Your First Home Purchase Dream a Reality

Buying a home is more than numbers, dollars and cents. The pride of owning your own home is an incredible feeling, providing a place for you and your family to come together and build memories.

For many, getting through the process of buying a home can be daunting, if not downright frightening. Talk to anyone considering buying a home for the first time, and many will say the same thing: “There’s so much information – I don’t know where to start or where to turn for answers. It’s overwhelming.”

With all the potential pitfalls out there, it’s key to arm yourself with the right tools to help you navigate the intricacies of the home buying process. Getting the right information and help along the way will make this milestone purchase easier and hassle-free.

Knowledge is power

While partnering with a real estate agent and knowledgeable mortgage lender will go a long way towards home buying success, empowering yourself is also important. You are not alone, but you’re also your own best advocate.

Learn about the neighborhoods where you might want to live, and think about your day-to-day lifestyle when deciding what area – and type of home – is right for you. Take a home buyer education course – they’re often free and will help prepare you for the home buying process.

Real-ing and dealing

Partnering with a real estate agent can help make the process of buying your first home more efficient and hassle-free.  A real estate professional will help you assess your needs and wants in a home, and then utilize that information to narrow the field of available homes in your price range to a manageable pool. Well-versed in the local area, a real estate professional can help ensure you’re getting a better price, will negotiate on your behalf, and can protect your rights as a homebuyer. Your agent also may be able to make mortgage lender recommendations.

Find a financial partner, not just mortgage rates

Like buying a home, choosing a mortgage provider is about more than terms and rates – it’s about finding a company that has the knowledge to help you succeed.

“Find a lender who is also your financial partner,” says Mike Copley, executive vice president, retail lending at TD Bank. “Your mortgage advisor should work with you to find the borrowing solution that’s right for you, and make the experience as straightforward and hassle-free as possible.  Your lender’s commitment to you shouldn’t end with the closing of your loan.”

Some things to consider when selecting a mortgage lender: Will I be supported from application to closing – and beyond? Are there application fees? How quickly will I have a decision on my application? What type of mortgage should I choose? Does my mortgage provider service their own loans, or can they be sold to another institution later? Does my mortgage provider have a strong customer service focus, so I can ensure my needs are being met? The answers to these questions will help you forge the right partnership with the right mortgage lender.

There’s nothing to fear about buying your first home if you’re an educated consumer who finds the right real estate and mortgage team to help you make your dreams come true. So get out there and find your dream home!

Spotlight on Cameron Heights

Cameron Heights is a new neighbourhood in west Edmonton, Alberta, Canada overlooking the North Saskatchewan River valley.

Cameron Heights is Edmonton’s finest river valley community located in Southwest Edmonton just off the Anthony Henday Drive.  Graced by two ravines and embraced by the river’s edge, this unique community is on nature’s doorstep and offers beautiful parks, walking and cycling paths, and tree-lined streets.

This unique neighbourhood is surrounded by nature and boasts the ultimate in privacy with breathtaking views and no public walkways behind your future home.

Architectural guidelines ensure this remarkable area will be developed to the highest of standards.

Spotlight on Kingswood Neighbourhood

To find your dream home in the prestigious St. Albert community of Kingswood, visit Re/MAX Real Estate St. Albert http://www.remax-realestate-stalbert.ca/

Community Showcase: Windermere, Edmonton

Upper Windermere is designed to attract the discerning homebuyer looking for an exclusive lifestyle in a desirable southwest Edmonton location. This new community blends exclusivity with unmatched home purchasing options. Upper Windermere is Edmonton’s first community with its own private leisure centre, where residents can enjoy a well-rounded lifestyle and family time close to home. Choose from a selection of desirable estate or premier lots and some of Alberta’s most renowned builders. Upper Windermere gives you the freedom to engage your senses and create your own world of fine living.

Windermere Golf and Country Club is a par 71 course set on the picturesque banks of the North Saskatchewan River at the South West edge of Edmonton. Tranquil and natural surroundings greet golfers at this modern course which has retained its maturity with a setting of tree lined fairways and water coming into play on seven holes. Varying tees provide an enjoyable round and unique challenges including sixty-three strategically placed bunkers. The true test during a round at Windermere starts on the 14th hole with the five finishing holes offering the greatest challenge.

Langdale in Windermere is a master planned community that was designed with a charming old-English flair. Enjoy walks through the park down cobblestone paths, relax on a bench under an old-fashioned street light or simply enjoy looking out over the water on the community lake.