Centex Homes View Menu Share Guide to Buying As you embark on the process of buying your new home, read this guide to help you understand the process.† Prioritize your down payment While there are plenty of low-down-payment loans, a Down Payment of around 20% will usually help you secure a better interest rate on your loan. That being said, there are more options available than you might have realized. These days it is possible to purchase a new home with a considerably lower down payment and still get a favorable interest rate. To learn more about how to buy a home with a lower down payment, click here. Set a price range that is comfortable Use Pulte Mortgage's mortgage calculator to factor in estimated taxes, insurance and HOA fees before you start looking at properties. Shop at the lower end of a realistic price range so you won’t waste time. Avoid sacrificing location for space You probably know how many bedrooms and bathrooms you want in your home. But don’t forget to factor in how location will affect your investment and your day-to-day life. The house of your dreams might be less dreamy with 2 hours of commuting every day. And be aware of a location’s influence on property values: Anything from a good school district to a nearby coffee shop can give the property’s appreciation rate a boost. Investigate the neighborhood Once you’ve honed in on an area, find out about its future development plans. Could these projects affect the neighborhood character and property values? A new soccer field might be perfect for your blossoming goalie, but a future buyer may not want to live next to the action. If you’re looking in a particular community, ask around about the HOA, or ask for the HOA contract before you decide. You may find that certain rules (like no renting allowed) don’t work with how you plan to invest. Mortgage Calculator Launch Calculator What You've Dreamed HOME BUYING 101 From home selection to the build process, find out how it all works with this helpful Centex Q&A. Learn More MY CENTEX ACCOUNT Save the homes you love, create design boards and access Owner's Entry by signing up for My Centex. Learn More OUR OTHER BRANDS MORE BY PULTE GROUP, INC. CUSTOMER SERVICE COPYRIGHT © 2019 PULTEGROUP, INC. PRIVACY POLICY TERMS OF USE SITEMAP †Centex is a homebuilder, not a mortgage lender. This is general information about financing the purchase of a home. For specific information that may be available to you, contact a mortgage lender. Financing available through Pulte Mortgage LLC. All loans are subject to underwriting and loan qualifications of the lender. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Pulte Mortgage LLC is an Equal Opportunity Lender. NMLS Entity #1791. www.PulteMortgage.com (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)