Depending on the expectations you set for your own home buying experience, this can be one of the most stressful events in your life. And according to a study by Homes.com*, the average American will spend 30-60 days shopping for a new home after they’ve committed to purchasing.

Here are some other stats we found while researching first time home buyer’s experiences:

The credit union wants to make your home buying experience easier.

Mortgage terms, abbreviations (PMI, APR, GFE… we could go on), and calculations can be hard to understand; we want to make this a more enjoyable experience because we believe knowledge is power.

So if you’ve been thinking about purchasing a home, but don’t know where to start or you have been looking for a home, but haven’t been happy with how your search has been going, keep reading! We think we’ve found a cool partnership you’ll be excited to try out.

How the Credit Union Can Help Make Your Home Buying Experience Easier… And Just More Enjoyable.

The credit union wants to empower you when it comes to finding the perfect home and having the best experience possible. So, we’ve partnered with HomeAdvantage.

HomeAdvantage is this free service that connects you with a real estate agent, tips for finding the perfect home, and a list of current homes for sale in the St. Louis area you can search based on zip code or city.

happy homeowner.jpg — Do your research. Find a realtor.

We’re making it so much easier to look for the perfect home in your neighborhood.

Here are some reasons why we think you’ll love using HomeAdvantage:

1. You can become a Home Buying Pro with the resources here. We can all agree that it’s easier to navigate the home buying process when you know what to expect, instead of letting the process control you.

HomeAdvantage has some great home buying tips, including the steps you need to take before buying a home and the steps included with getting a mortgage.

Another great feature is the Property Valuation Tool and Market Trends reports to find out how much your home is worth and to see what’s going on in your dream neighborhood.

2. You’re partnered up with a trustworthy real estate agent. Every real estate agent in the HomeAdvantage network has to complete a thorough application process.

They’re local experts who were hand-picked due to their levels of experience and great service background.

You can even pick an agent yourself after submitting the state/city you’re searching for a home in. You can start that process right here.

3. There’s an affordability calculator. Did you know your mortgage payments shouldn’t be more than 30% of your gross monthly income? The affordability calculator will help you figure out exactly what that number is to you.

Just put in:

· Your gross monthly income

· Monthly debts (not including your current rent/mortgage payments)

· Down payment percentage

· Interest rate (you’ll know this number after you’re preapproved)

· Loan term

4. Everything is customizable. Once you’ve entered some information to let HomeAdvantage get to know you, you can customize your experience.

Tell them where your dream home may be or the area you’re browsing in, and you can save specific searches and ‘favorite’ the properties that make you want to take a second look.