Should Newlyweds Buy a House? | Buying Property with your New Spouse | Buying a Home as a Joint Investment

I came across an interesting article on MSNmoney.com the other day entitled, "Should Newlyweds Buy a House?"

An interesting question, indeed.

In my dealings with a lot of newlyweds/first-time homebuyers, I have encountered this question a lot. Of course, I cannot answer this question for a client, but I can help them through the thought-process and try to help them reach a decision that they are confortable with on their own.

One of the first things we do with any buyer, not just the first-time variety, is refer them to our trusted mortgage lenders. Not only do we know that these mortgage professionals do a great job with our clients, but we have all used them personally and can attest first-hand to their knowledge and trustworthiness.

And of course, one of the tips in the article is right up this alley: Get pre-approved before house-love hits.

But it's not just about getting pre-approved and finding out how much the standard debt-to-income ratio says you can afford to spend. It's also about knowing what you are comfortable spending, and those two numbers can be very different.

Of course, the article doesn't do much to answer the question it poses in its title - should you buy a new house. That is a question that only you and your spouse can ultimately answer. But it does eloquently present some important things to think about. In addition to getting pre-approved, other helpful tips offered by this article are aggressive saving, discussing and managing timelines and researching mortgage deals.

I highly recommend this article to any newlyweds/first-time homebuyers contemplating that first big housing purchase. There is so much to think about as you venture into a life together, not to mention into homeownership together.