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Use your Tax Refund to Help with Your Manufactured Home Purchase
April is tax month, and that’s good news if you are expecting a refund. If you are also considering a manufactured home purchase, the timing is especially fortunate, as your refund could bring you one step closer to achieving the dream of being a homeowner.
Depending on what stage you are at in the process, there are a number of ways to maximize the impact of that refund. The most obvious is to apply it toward the down payment, which not only lowers the amount you’ll need to borrow, it lowers the interest you’ll pay over the entirety of the mortgage.
If you’re not yet ready to make a purchase but are planning on looking into manufactured homes in the months or year to come, you can use the refund to pay down or pay off some high interest credit cards. That will improve your credit score, which can result in a better mortgage offer when it’s time to buy.
Perhaps you’ve already covered the down payment and your home is now being built. An IRS refund will come in handy when it’s time to sign the final mortgage papers by helping to pay any closing costs. Or you can apply it toward property taxes or homeowners insurance, if these are not included in the mortgage.
The process of moving into a new home can be expensive as well. If you hire a moving company, those extra funds can cover their bill. If you prefer to do it yourself, you may still have to rent a truck, and buy boxes and other supplies.
If you already have all of these expenses covered, then perhaps we should be asking you for financial advice!
But there is still another way to apply your IRS refund to your manufactured home investment, and this is through the establishment of an emergency fund. This is typically a savings account where you set aside enough money for a few months of living expenses, including mortgage, monthly bills and the type of purchases you need to get by (food, gas, etc.). Should the unexpected happen, you would be very glad you had the foresight to start saving when it was possible to do so.
