Melinda Thomas

When debating between renting vs. buying, you need to think about your lifestyle and finances. While renting can provide more flexibility, owning a home enables you to build equity in the property and may provide tax benefits.

Buying a home is a huge step, especially when you’re moving from renting to owning.

At Chase, you can choose from several types of mortgage loans to finance your home purchase. A Home Lending Advisor can help you understand the differences between the various loan options so you find one that best suits your financial situation.
Once you understand what you want out of a home, determining your housing budget is essential. After determining a loose housing budget, you'll need to decide how much you'll be comfortable paying each month. Your real estate agent will help you find the right home based on all of these factors. Looking for more information? Read our guide on “How to Find the Perfect Home!”

Traditional loans usually require documents that verify your employment, income and assets, and may include:
• Your Social Security number
• Pay stubs for the last two months
• W-2 forms for the past two years
• Bank statements for the past two or three months
• One to two years of federal tax returns
• A signed contract of sale (if you've already chosen your new home)
• Information on current debt, including car loans, student loans and credit cards

If you plan to be in your home for more than seven years, you may want to consider a fixed-rate mortgage, which offers predictable payments and long-term protection against rising mortgage interest rates. If you plan to be in your home for seven years or less, an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) could be attractive. Keep in mind that with an ARM, your monthly payments have the potential to go up each time your interest rate adjusts.