Are you thinking about buying a house in Charleston or the surrounding area? If so, you are likely utilizing the internet to help in your search. In our latest post, we have put together a list of resources for home buyers in Charleston and surrounding areas.
Financial Help
Affordability Calculator – Zillow offers a simple and straightforward affordability calculator that can help you determine just how much you will be able to afford. Keep in mind, that just because you are able to borrow a certain amount, doesn’t mean you should.
Your Credit Score – Check out myFICO for information regarding your credit report. Not only can you receive a copy, but you can also learn more about how your credit score is built. Check out their mortgage rate comparison tool to learn more about how your credit score will affect your interest rate.
Credit Karma – Credit Karma is another great way to stay on top of your credit and help you find ways to improve it, all for free. Get access to your reports and current score via their robust app.
Department of Housing and Urban Development – The HUD offers a wealth of information to people who want to buy a home. Here you can learn about assistance programs, find homes for sale and discover information on local lenders.
The FHA – The Federal Housing Administration offers loans with low interest and low down payments. You can learn more about the perks and qualifications here.
USDA – The United States Department of Agriculture offers home loans to qualified applicants and properties. These loans are only available to properties in rural areas and are available with no money down. You might be surprised to learn that the USDA defines most of the country as a rural area.
Good Neighbor Next Door – The Good Neighbor Next Door Program offers homes at incredible discounts to law enforcement, teachers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
Where To Find Homes
Realtor.com – Realtor.com is the place where people go to search homes on the MLS. Here you can find agent information, property information and more. Information is updated in real-time and matches what agents are seeing on the MLS. Zillow and Trulia might take a bit longer to update. Realtor.com is a much better source for accurate and up to the minute information.
SC Investment Properties – We are a direct seller of homes in the Charleston area. We work with local investors to provide houses and incredible prices. You can always find amazing deals on Charleston properties when you call SC Investment Properties.
The Buying Process
City Data – City data provides a plethora of stats about metropolitan areas nationwide. You can learn about income levels, demographics, top industries, real estate information and more.
American Society of Home Inspectors – ASHI provides a way to contact a professional and licensed property appraiser in your area.
Home Snap – Home Snap is an app from the future that allows you to take a pic of a house, any house, and automatically learn all of the data behind it. Pulling from past listings, you can see photos, price history and ownership information.
Do Your Homework
Nerd Wallet – Nerd wallet is a comparison and education site that can help you learn about all aspects of personal finance. The site aims to help people live better lives through financial education and empowerment.
Bigger Pockets – Bigger Pockets is a social network, education portal and news site all rolled into one. With millions of pages of content, you can learn anytime, anywhere. The platform offers discussion boards and ways to connect with like-minded people in your industry.