Real Stories

Buyer Takes Her Time to Find Perfect Home, Buys in Old Bridge

Christine had been living with family and never owned her own home.  As soon as she had saved enough money, she decided to begin house hunting and took her time, waiting until she found the home that was perfect for her. 

After years of searching, Christine found one that fit what she was looking for in Old Bridge Township.

“I was looking for a home that was within my budget, was located in the Old Bridge area, didn’t require any renovations, and had enough space,” Christine said.  “I didn’t want to settle for anything less.”

In 2008, she noticed homes becoming more affordable, and saw some serious opportunities.  She began working with a REALTOR®, Peggy, in early 2008.  Peggy made her search easier by looking at homes before taking Christine to see them and by arranging appointments with sellers and lenders.

The following February, Christine found a foreclosed home that fit her needs and felt right.  She moved into the home in April.

“The house didn’t need any major renovations, it had more bedrooms and bathrooms than I was hoping for, and the price was right,” she said.

After being pre-approved for a mortgage and signing her offer contract, Christine realized that buying a foreclosed home would be more complex than expected.

“The whole process took two months,” she said.  “I had to wait for the offer to be accepted by the bank, for the home to be de-winterized before being inspected, and for the bank to review my requests to make some minor repairs with the home.  It was a bit frustrating because I never knew how long something would take and what I was waiting for.”

She wasn’t deterred by the length of the process, though, because the home had everything she was looking for.  Christine made the few small repairs – fixing the outside trim and a leak from a tub – that were needed, and settled into her new house as a happy home buyer. 

She also was excited to use the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit to invest back into her home.

“I saved enough to make a down payment and I have excellent credit, so my interest rate was low,” said Christine.  “But the $8,000 credit will help me buy furniture and paint for my new house.”