For many younger local residents, any sense of urgency about buying their first St. Cloud home has probably been shelved for a while now. The pandemic necessitated putting many a long-range plan on hold—and even after the initial disruptions had faded, it was often replaced with a natural impulse to wait to see what the ‘new normal’ would look like once the health threat subsided. As for buying a first St. Cloud home, the headlines about ballooning real estate prices were anything but encouraging. Then came other distractions—like the threat of rising taxes and inflation. It all worked to foster a sense of uncertainty.

Even in more placid times, more often than not, the first impediment to a major initiative like buying a first St. Cloud home is fear of the unfamiliar. This can include a mix of issues, starting with what qualifications are required, how to begin the process, what steps come next, what obstacles can be expected to arise, etc. The array of online ‘how-to’ articles are helpful, but the most authoritative necessarily include a good number of qualifications: “in some states,” “depending on local ordinances,” and the like. They aren’t confidence-builders.

By itself, fear of the unknown is not a bad thing—it prevents many a misstep. It can be vanquished in the most straightforward way: by turning ‘unknowns’ into ‘knowns.’ For would-be first-time St. Cloud homeowners, several of the most common are easily vanquished:

·         UNKNOWN 1: How much money do first-timers save to buy a house? According to Attom Data Solutions, the latest average first-time buyer’s down payment was 9.1% of the loan amount.

·         UNKNOWN 2: How good must my credit be? The Federal Housing Administration requires a 580 credit score or higher.

·         UNKNOWN 3: How do negotiations with an owner work? (See answer to UNKNOWN 4).

·         UNKNOWN 4: Everything else? As early as possible, call me.

There are a goodly number of factors that go into identifying and securing any St. Cloud house, many of which will be most successfully handled by joining forces with an experienced St. Cloud Realtor^® (that’s me). I will answer every question as it arises, or even before—and make sure that all the fine points are handled properly.

There is one more common ‘unknown’—and this one has a simple, very satisfactory answer:

·         UNKNOWN 5: How much does a buyer’s agent cost the buyer? Nothing at all (the seller pays all commission)!

Providing a superior level of informed, professional real estate services to buyers and sellers throughout Central Minnesota. We have agents specializing in residential, commercial, multifamily, new construction, existing, investment properties, foreclosures/REO, and short sales with offices located in:

Multiple Office Locations To Serve YOU!

Saint Cloud 320-259-4554

Princeton 320-983-3555

Sartell 320-259-4554

Little Falls 320-259-4554

Minneapolis 612-355-1260

Hutchinson 320-455-9127

Litchfield 320-298-1140

Premier Real Estate specializes MANY areas around Central MN including Saint Cloud, Waite Park, Rice, Royalton, Sartell, Royalton, Little Falls, Cold Spring, Saint Joseph, Elk River, Monticello, Ramsey, Saint Michael, Andover, Ham Lake, Anoka, Champlin, Buffalo, Glencoe, Brownton, Silver Lake, Kandiyohi, Dassel, Minneapolis, Maple Grove, Saint Louis Park, Saint Paul, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Brooklyn Center, Brainerd, Nisswa, Aitkin, Albany, Coon Rapids, Sauk Rapids and more!