A Quick Announcement….

Please be aware that the last Sunday in September is Gold Mother’s Day where we take time out to honor the families – especially the mothers – of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. God Bless the Mothers who gave the best and the bravest!

Now, Before you spend a dollar on real estate…..

You need to know what you haven't been told: the right move will make you wealthy, the wrong move will give you warts, figuratively speaking. Why didn't anyone tell you? Because: (a) there isn't any money in it to tell you, (b) your parents probably didn't know, and (c) if they did know, you probably wouldn't have listened anyway. Investing in real estate, much like the stock market or the commodity market or buying antique cars, is an art not a science, so my words on the subject will only be found in textbooks generally written by me. Up to now I have only written one, which is yours for the asking. But let's begin with this column.

The first point I will make was actually brought to prominence by my friend and radio partner, Hugh Hewitt, when he constantly drove home the point that your house is your bank. It is a great point, because if managed right, your house can become the "Bank of First Choice" for you and you will always be welcome there.

In your quest to buy your first house, do not skip any of the steps that will lead you to the right place, as it will be the bedrock of your financial plan and will help shape your financial future. Begin by getting pre-qualified. If you talk with any real estate agent or broker, they will tell you the need for a qualification letter to go along with the offer and at that time they will help you get one. Too late! Being pre-qualified is not for the seller’s benefit (knowing you are capable to buy the house), nor the realtor's benefit (knowing you can get the financing). It is for YOUR benefit. You will learn what you can afford, the different types of programs available, and when we do a pre-qualification, we also tell you what you can't afford. We do that to help you conquer "the kid in the candy store syndrome". Believe me, it's real.

Next, do not believe that using a Realtor is a bad idea. A good Realtor will show you as many places as you need to see, tell you not only the pros and cons of the house but also the area, and really won't push you into a house above your means. Why? Because if you are pre-qualified, you will know the limits.

I love to play golf and have learned the worse thing I can do on a drive is to bend or slide my right leg. Instead, I need to turn my hip. I bring this up because I have a rule when buying a house. The worst thing you can do is buy above your means and try to tailor a loan that will help you get there. I may be able to get off a decent shot once in a while if I slide my right leg, but the vast majority of the time it isn't going to work out well. The same holds true if you try to make the wrong loan fit the house. Continued...