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Congratulations! You’ve decided it’s time to purchase your first home. Buying your first home can be a very exciting time. But, it can also be extremely nerve-racking. Here are some first-time homebuyer tips to help make your home buying process a little easier.

1. Select a Target Location

The old real-estate adage is true. It’s all about location, location, location. Are you looking for a quiet neighborhood? Or maybe something close to the highway is more ideal. Remember, you cannot change the location of your home but you can always customize it. Select a target area you can grow with. French Brothers Homes offers quality built, spacious new homes for sale in alamogordo nm. You can choose from one of our many Alamogordo communities, including Bristol Park, Hermosa El Sol, Palo Duro, Pueblo Real, Silverado and Valencia. Our Las Lomas community even offers 1-2 acre homesites.

2. Enlist help from a real-estate agent

Enlisting the help of a real-estate agent will help ease the process. Select one that has successful experience selling in your targeted area. Your agent should have your best interest at heart and also listen not only to your wants but also your needs.

3. Assess your wants vs. needs

Every homebuyer has a list of wants and needs. Really assess your needs and make a checklist of your must-haves, nice-to-haves and other essentials. Are you looking for an open-concept floor plan, or maybe a walk-in car garage or an upstairs laundry room? Bring your checklist with you during consultations with your homebuilder to see how these can be incorporated into your home design.

The French Brothers Homes Design Studio can help to inspire your imagination to allow you to explore the wonderful possibilities to create your very own dream home from an array of floor plans and option packages to personalize your new home. You’ll work exclusively one on one with our design professional who will recommend products and finishes–from appliances, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, hardware, landscaping, light fixtures and plumbing–to suit your personal taste and lifestyle.

4. Buy Within Budget

There’s a big difference between how much you can afford and how much you actually want to spend. The last thing you want to do is overextend yourself when making such a big purchase. Use a monthly mortgage calculator to calculate your total monthly costs. Don’t forget to include taxes and homeowners insurance as well as HOA fees (if applicable). This will allow you to see how much you can afford and how owning a home fits into your budget. You always want to leave room for unexpected expenses and emergencies.  We suggest saving for a down payment, at least 20 percent. You also want to check your credit score and get your credit in good shape (if it’s not already) so that you can qualify for a better loan with a lower interest rate.

French Brothers Homes has been in business for 32 years. We’ve built a stellar reputation as Alamogordo’s most trusted builder and are the recipients of the 2015 National Housing Quality Award for the second straight year. We build homes for first-time homebuyers as well as move-up buyers, large families and empty-nesters. We are the Dreambuilders of new homes for sale in Alamogordo nm and can help build your home. Contact us for additional information.

This post was written by French Brothers.