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Catherine Elkins Lic. RE Salesperson Realtor, Fair Housing

Holding the keys to your next home


Whether you are looking to buy your first home,  sell your existing home or find your dream home, my goal is to make the home buying and selling experience easy and stress free. I am 100 percent committed to serving you with loyalty, professionalism and care.

By teaming up with me and Howard Hanna, you'll get an agent who works closely with a large network of real estate professionals. I will put you in touch with the right people throughout your home buying or selling experience, from attorneys and inspectors to lenders who will help you to find the best possible financing options to meet your specific needs. 

With a lifetime of people oriented experience and 23 years as Assistant Manager in Accounting with Wegmans, I have developed excellent communications skills along with a sharp attention to detail. Whether you are moving up, downsizing, buying, selling or both you, can rest assured that I will follow the process closely from beginning to end.

My passion for decorating and eye for home staging will be an asset in preparing your home to be market ready for the quickest sale possible. 

Let me show you why starting at the top-HOWARD HANNA, and working with the best-ME is the best choice you can make in the difficult decision to buy or sell a home. 
Call, text or e-mail me any time. I look forward to the opportunity to help you!

                   "HOLDING THE KEYS TO YOUR NEXT HOME!"

Awards  

  • Recipient of the Howard Hanna Bronze Sales Award 
Affiliations
  • Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS®
  • New York State Association of REALTORS®
  • National Association of REALTORS®
Communities Served
  • Albion, Brighton, Brockport, Chili, Churchville, Clarkson, East Rochester, Fairport, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Henrietta, Hilton, Honeoye Falls, Irondequoit, Mendon, Ogden, Parma, Penfield, Pittsford, Riga, Rush, Scottsville, Spencerport, Sweden, Victor, Webster, Wheatland.

Please visit my website at www.catherineelkins.howardhanna.com

 


Specialties

First Time Buyers
Move-Up Home
Relocation
Residential
Retirement

 

Buying a new home is a lengthy process with many interconnected steps. Whether you’re a first time home buyer or you’re looking to move into a better house, one of the most important steps you’ll take is determining what you can and cannot afford to buy. And to make that determination successfully, you’ll need to make a clear budget focused specifically on how much property and home you can and cannot afford.

 

Start With a Basic Budget

At its core, your budget for your new home is all about understanding the maximum monthly mortgage payment you think you can comfortably pay. To figure this out, there are several pieces of data that need to be factored in, reviewed, and calculated.

 

As you create your budget, make sure that you have this basic information:

your yearly income
monthly debts owed
the down payment you expect to put on the house

Based on these three numbers, you can come up with a rough estimate of the maximum home price you can afford within your current budget.

 

Keep Going to Determine a More Accurate Budget

Once you have your basic budget, it’s time to get a more accurate and precise number to focus on and work around. To do this, you will need to take into account detailed information about the new home you are looking to purchase and the mortgage loan that would finance that property.

 

As you create this more accurate budget, you should consider:

The down payment amount you will need
The premium amount on the homeowner’s insurance for the property (premium will be determined by many factors about you, the property itself, and coverage levels chosen)
The premium amount on flood insurance for the property, should flood insurance coverage be required by the mortgage lender
The real estate taxes for the area into which you are moving

Homeowner’s association dues (if applicable)

 

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

If you’ve shopped for a home before, you probably already know that even a self-determined budget is still just an official and limited answer. That’s because every step of purchasing a home can be complex, and often includes factors you forget or can’t predict. For example, besides the mortgage payment, there are several other fees and costs associated with owning a home that often go unnoticed until after closing on the home.

 

With that in mind, the only real way to figure out your true home buying budget early in the process is to speak with a mortgage professional, as well as to work with a real estate agent. While mortgage experts can answer all of your questions, address your concerns, and help you prepare for any loans you need to complete your purchase, a real estate agent can keep you on-track during the entire home hunting process. Together, these two experts are sure to help you buy a fantastic new house – all within your budget!

Have a question?
I can help.

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