The true cost of buying a home can be a lot more than the agreed-upon sale price. Along with your monthly mortgage payment, you will likely find yourself shelling out for other upfront and ongoing expenses. Closing costs, homeowners association fees, property taxes, utility bills and imminent home repairs can add hundreds — if not thousands — to your expenditures.

Avoid unpleasant financial surprises by familiarizing yourself with some of the more common expenses associated with buying or building a new home. Budgeting for added monthly expenses — and setting some aside for emergencies — will help ensure your new dream home is also an affordable one.

1. Closing costs: Add in an estimated 2% to 5% of home price.
2. Homeowners insurance: Add $1,100-plus per year.
3. Homeowners association fees: Add $10 to $575 per month.
4. Property taxes: Add $1,000-plus per $100,000 per year.
5. Home maintenance and repairs: Add several hundred to several thousand dollars.
6. Home furnishings: Add several hundred to several thousand dollars.
7. Lawn care and outdoor maintenance: Add $100 to $200 per month.
8. Utility bills: Add $180-plus per month.

See our House Hunting Checklist HERE

Name Your Purchase Price & Area

What price would you consider buying a new home for?

Housing inventories in the greater Seattle area and Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah corridors have just reached a 22 year low. Adding to that, mortgage rates are at near two year lows and close to record territory once again. If you are having a hard time finding a home to buy then The Cascade Team may be able to help. Simply complete the form below and let me know what neighborhood you are interested in and how much you are looking to spend. We have 100’s of experienced Real Estate Brokers throughout the area who are happy to go to work for you to find your dream home in just the neighborhood or area you want. Our connections throughout the areas we serve give us access to many potential home sellers who may have not listed their homes yet, or who would consider selling only if they know there was a ready, willing and able buyer. So if you are ready, put our skill and connections to work for you! “Even if that means we have to go knocking on a few doors to see if people would consider selling.”

Sign up to receive an alert if a seller is interested. We have sellers out there looking and we may just have a seller with a home you would be interested in. All it takes is 30 seconds to fill out the form below. To learn more about what we offer our home buyer clients, CLICK HERE.