Real estate market tips from Stuart Rubin

Real estate developer tips by Stuart Rubin? Looking for a home before applying for a mortgage. Many first-time buyers make the mistake of viewing homes before ever getting in front of a mortgage lender. In some markets, housing inventory is still tight because there’s more buyer demand than affordable homes on the market. And in a competitive market, you could lose a property if you aren’t preapproved for a mortgage, says Alfredo Arteaga, a loan officer with Movement Mortgage in Mission Viejo, California. How this affects you: You might get behind the ball if a home hits the market you love. You also might look at homes that, realistically, you can’t afford. What to do instead: “Before you fall in love with that gorgeous dream house you’ve been eyeing, be sure to get a fully underwritten preapproval,” Arteaga says. Being preapproved sends the message that you’re a serious buyer whose credit and finances pass muster to successfully get a loan.

Once you select a lender, you should speak with a loan officer as quickly as possible. At this point, there is one thing you should know. Pre-qualifying means absolutely nothing. All pre-qualifying does is determine the amount of the loan you could qualify for based on factors such as your credit, salary, etc. It does not guarantee that a lender will actually loan you the money. It’s more important to get PRE-APPROVED. Pre-approval means that your application has been submitted to a lender who is willing to extend you a specific loan amount, pending a property and appraisal. Being pre-approved lets you know that you won’t be denied for a loan, and it also provides you with leverage to negotiate the purchase price of a home with the seller.

In contrast, the monthly PITI in the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas averaged just $1,434. That makes home buying a sport reserved for the affluent in those 25 most expensive metro areas. And that’s despite the fact that those metro areas include more than just pricey downtown neighborhoods. They include entire cities and extend into more affordable nearby communities, some suburban. To afford those PITIs of $1,430 to $5,946, you needed annual income ranging from $85,173 to $254,836. That’s a lot more than the $61,454 income you needed to afford a home in the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas. Those metro areas’ PITIs average $1,434.

Stuart Rubin bio: Prior to joining Deloitte, he was a co-founder of a leading cyber services consultancy where he launched a managed services platform for providing ongoing monitoring of network devices and assessing and reporting on the impact of cyber-related events. Stuart is a graduate of Florida State University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Studies. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP-ISSMP) and a member of ISACA and InfraGard.

Stuart Rubin is a managing director in Deloitte’s Assurance and Internal Audit practice, with 20 years of experience in public accounting, Internal Audit, and IT consulting. He focuses on assisting organizations in the Consumer, Fintech, and Services industries in implementing, assessing, monitoring, and enhancing their systems of control. Stuart Rubin regularly presents at the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and accounting industry conferences on emerging trends in the assurance, internal audit, and security/privacy spaces.

Stuart Rubin, can very well be dubbed a real estate expert. He enjoys his work, and his interest in real estate development is the secret to his success. The bank was publically traded, and all shareholders were proud of the disposition and the financial solvency of the bank at the time of the sale. Mr. Rubin has served on the board of Hebrew Union College, Vista Del Mar, and the L+R Group of Companies. See even more info at Stuart Rubin.