Preparing Today to Buy a House in 5 Years

By Hedrick Lepsch


Picking up a paintbrush or paint roller and taking on the walls of a home has long been the most popular do it yourself home improvement for many homeowners. This is because painting the walls of the home seems simple enough and can give the home a great new feel and fresh look.

But this undeserved negative bias towards manufactured homes in Utah has limited the options of those couples or families that are searching for a permanent and comfortable home. For younger families especially, who's demographic typically has the constraints of a tight budget, a manufactured home could provide for their needs and at the right cost.

They weren't ready for the financial burden of their loans, and defaulted on them by the hundreds, to thousands. Preparing properly for their financial debts would have saved a lot of people the financial hardship that came from defaulting on a loan.

The first thing that families should know about manufactured homes is that the industry at large and the homes themselves have come a long way from the block-work mobile homes of the past. Today's manufactured homes have various floor plans, sizes, styles, looks and feels than the average cookie cutter single wide.

Are your finances in order now? Do you have a finger on your debt? Are all of your bills paid on time? What does your credit look like? If they're not ready now, how can you expect to afford an added bill of $1,000 a month? If you're serious about this goal, you will need to be well practiced at living within a budget.

Prepare other surfaces for the upcoming paint project by laying down protective sheeting on floors and by taping off ceilings and window frames with protective paper. Taping precisely along lines where paint colors are planned to change is vital to the overall success of the project.

This bias towards manufactured homes by the mortgage companies has directly led to a one percent increase in the interest rates for a manufactured home loan. This hike in interest rates for manufactured home loans means that a family will have to pay that difference in their home loan should they decide to purchase a manufactured home in Utah.

While actually painting the walls, one might want to consider purchasing or renting an extension pole. Telescoping poles with roller attachments can make painting both the higher and lower sections of the walls easily manageable.

Finally, make a purchasing decision based on how long you plan to stay in the area. If you know that you will be moving from the area in 5 or 6 years after purchasing, then why buy a big house? Buy one that's a bit smaller and a bit cheaper. The debt will be easier to pay off, and it won't be as hard to leave. On the other hand, if you plan on staying for a while, then you can be more open to a larger house, more expensive home. Take into consideration how long you intend to stay.

Painting the walls of the home by one's self can be a great way to freshen up the home and give a personal touch to the house. By following the above basic guidelines to painting, the first time painter or novice home improver can still accomplish this great addition to their home.




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