It is easy to become overwhelmed when you enter the home buying market. Friends, family, colleagues, and even acquaintances will give you their opinions, wanted or not. While most of them are looking out for your best interest, they are not fully aware of what is happening in the housing market and are not subject matter experts. Yet everyone wants to share their personal experiences with you as their own form of sage advice.

It is important for you to be prepared and have your own questions ready. No matter what other opinions you are getting, you are the one buying the home and your comfort level is what's most important. Here are three important questions to ask before you purchase a home.

1. Why am I Buying a Home?

Regardless of the finances, it is important to think about what made you want to buy a home in the first place. Usually the reasons don’t have to do with money. Instead, home buyers are focused on how the house will impact their family in the future. A study done by the Joint Center for House Studies at Harvard found there are four main reasons people buy a home. Those core reasons are schools for your children, a safe environment, more room for your family to grow, and control of your own space.

These factors are the most common reasons people look to buy a new home. When you ask yourself why you are looking to purchase a home, do any of those factors come up? Spend time with your spouse or family members who are involved in this decision and determine why you want a home in the first place. Creating this list will help when searching for a home and can help your real estate agent find the best home for your needs.

2. What is the Trend with Home Values?

Our current economy and housing market is strong. That means home values and mortgage rates are increasing. If you are looking to purchase a home but want to stay within a budget, it may be in your best interest to move quickly. It is forecasted for these trends to continue in an upward motion, causing home prices to continue to increase.

3. What About Current Mortgage Rates?

The purchase price is not the only thing you should be concerned with when purchasing a home. Mortgage rates are always changing and can have a huge impact on your monthly payments. This is something to consider if you are debating the right time to purchase a home, since the rates may be even higher down the road. Consider the impact if rates rise by 2-3% when your mortgage term comes for renewal. Would you be able to afford those larger payments? 

Bottom Line

You and your family are the only ones who can determine the right time to purchase your dream home. It is important to decide exactly why you want a new home for your family and decide on a budget that will be comfortable moving forward. This budget may affect the amount of time you have to search for a home, since home prices and mortgage rates are increasing.