
As the January approaches, our real estate agents want you to start the New Year on the right foot. Instead of choosing a resolution, we believe it's fun and exciting to try a new hobby. Here are a few popular activities you can try in the New Year.

Our real estate agents at Josey Young & Brady Realty know that buying Atlanta homes for sale starts long before you reach out to us. In fact, many people save up for months or years before they embark on the journey of buying their own home. Even if you only have a few months to get ready, there are steps that will help! Two financial habits are essential to achieving your goals:
Of these, it's the second one that creates the most confusion! Every time you pay down debt, you are raising your credit score. Your credit score, in turn, is a numerical representation of your good financial habits. It uses a number of factors to help lenders assess the risk in offering you a loan.
There are opportunities to raise your credit score every month. A change of just a few points can give you access to loans on more favorable terms, so knowing how your credit score works is worth the effort. Let's look at some of the best ways to improve your credit before applying for a home loan.

Our real estate agents show Atlanta homes for sale to self-employed buyers all the time! Yes, the mortgage approval process is more stringent for people who are self-employed. But no, it's not impossible to achieve your goals. It just requires a little bit more preparation. Mortgage lenders take a wide variety of factors into account when making a decision. In the long run, their focus is on ensuring buyers are financially stable and can repay loans with no issue. Some of the key factors they look at include:
Self-employed people have all of these things, naturally. However, some of the information might be harder to pull together and present in a way lenders are willing to accept. Likewise, they may have questions about long-term financial stability, depending on occupation.
Luckily, there are steps self-employed buyers can take to make things easier. Let's look at them now.

So here you are, in the home stretch of the home-buying process, having put in your time shopping Atlanta homes for sale and found the one that is just right for you. You've put an offer on it and had it accepted. Your financing is in place, the home inspection completed, and a closing date is scheduled. That means that it's time for the final walk-through to make sure everything is in order before you sign on the dotted line at the closing table.
You're sure to be excited at this point and eager to get past the formalities and into your new home, but it's essential to realize that the final walk-through isn't just a formality. It is an important step in ensuring that you get what you bargained for in your purchase agreement, and our real estate agents would certainly tell you that it's one to take very seriously. To help you make the most of it, we've put together a helpful final walk-through checklist for home buyers.

Deciding to add your home to the list of Atlanta homes for sale is a big decision. For first-time sellers, it might be almost as big of a decision as buying a home in the first place. After all, selling your home successfully is something that affects your financial well-being and plans for the future. But there are ways to make things less stressful and help you get your home sold.