Before you renew that lease, find out what you can buy

By Realtor Abby Woods

JA Guest Writer

I hear it often. “Agent Abby Woods, I’m not ready to buy a house.”

My response is usually a question: How do you know?

In many cases, the issue is not that people can’t buy a home.

It’s that no one has shown them what they actually qualify for.

Could it be that you have not because you ask not?

For many of us, our relationship with money was shaped by survival. It was not  shaped by strategy. We were taught how to get by, not how to build wealth. We were taught how to pay bills, not how to position ourselves for ownership. We were taught to avoid debt, but not always how to use credit as a tool.

So ask yourself:

When was the last time you looked at your credit without fear?

Do you know what’s actually on your report?

Are you building savings or just reacting to expenses?

Are your decisions based on your future or your frustration?

This is not about shame.

It is about awareness and awareness changes everything.

At the pre-approval stage of becoming a homeowner, no one is trying to sell you anything. They are trying to help inform and educate you.

I want more Jackson families, individuals, and friends asking:

Could this be ours?

What would it take to qualify?

What do I or we need to change in the next 6–12 months?

Who can help me or us get there?

Unsure were you stand? Reach out to me about getting pre-approved. I work with lenders, banks, and credit unions who are patient, professional, and focused on education, not pressure. I can connect you with someone who will review your full picture and tell you the truth about what is possible now and what may be possible soon.

It starts with curiosity. Curiosity costs you nothing and sometimes the difference between renting forever and owning a home is simply being willing to ask the right questions.

For more information, call 601-761-9463 or 601-977-9411; email abbywoods@kw.com; or visit https://abbywoods.kw.com.