Getting on the property ladder in any part of the country is tricky enough, but New York presents a particularly significant challenge to would-be homeowners.

That said, with the right approach you can still make this dream a reality, so let’s discuss the obstacles that lie in your way and how to overcome them.

Setting a realistic budget

There’s no getting around the fact that property in New York is expensive. The city is home to celebrity pads, and is the place where the great, the good and the powerful congregate, hence why prices are so high.

This means you need to adjust your expectations from the get-go and have a realistic, affordable budget in mind before you start looking. That way, you won’t fall in love with a place only to realize that it’s completely out of your price range.

Choosing a neighborhood

New York City isn’t a homogenous place, but rather is made up of different boroughs, each of which is further subdivided into neighborhood niches that can have a distinct personality of their own.

Along with your budget, you need to consider where you want to live. If possible, visit prospective neighborhoods in person and speak to existing residents to get a sense of whether a location will gel with your personal needs and ethos.

Getting a mortgage on the NYC home of your dreams

Acquiring a home loan to make a property purchase in New York is an undeniable hurdle, and yet if you pick the right lender then things will become much simpler.

For example, applying for a mortgage loan from loanDepot will not only give you access to excellent finance packages for all budgets, but will also let you tap into the expert advice and assistance of pros in this space.

You’ll still need to make sure that your circumstances are right for submitting a mortgage application. If you’ve got a lot of debt, or your credit score is subpar, then you might need to rethink the timing of things, and make changes to improve your situation.

Considering the style of property

The assumption for a lot of people who want to move to New York is that your main option will be living in an apartment.

The variety of properties is much more extensive than shows like Friends and Seinfeld would have you believe, and there are a cavalcade of different choices to weigh up. Perhaps you’d like to buy a condo and own it outright. Perhaps you’d prefer an apartment that’s part of a cooperative, giving you a share in the entire building.

Maybe you’ve got an ambition to own a full-blown townhouse, or you’d even prefer an entirely detached home with its own driveway and garden.

All of these needs and more can be accommodated in NYC; just bear in mind that your preferences will play a part in narrowing down your neighborhood options. You can’t change one parameter of your search without impacting another.

Picking the right time to pounce

Buying property in New York is all about timing; if you get this wrong, then you might either end up paying over the odds for a place, or find that there’s limited choice available.

Luckily it’s pretty straightforward to plan your timings, because the market is most geared towards buyers during the spring and the autumn. Winter is not ideal because the market is so slow, while summer sees a spike in demand, which isn’t ideal either.

So with all that in mind, you can tentatively kick your property purchasing process into gear and see where it takes you!