That's a solid take. I've had clients who waited to boost their credit, only to find themselves priced out when the market surged unexpectedly. On the flip side, I've also seen buyers jump in early and regret not waiting for better rates. It's tricky—timing the market perfectly is nearly impossible. Usually, if you find a home that checks most boxes and fits your budget comfortably, it's worth considering seriously rather than gambling on future conditions...
"Usually, if you find a home that checks most boxes and fits your budget comfortably, it's worth considering seriously rather than gambling on future conditions..."
Totally agree with this. But have you considered how long you'd realistically need to wait to see a meaningful credit improvement? Sometimes a bigger down payment now can offset the higher rates you'd get post-bankruptcy...depends on your timeline and local market conditions, though.
When I bought my first home after bankruptcy, I initially thought waiting would be smarter—figured I'd get better rates down the road. But honestly, after crunching numbers, the bigger down payment made more sense. Rates didn't drop as quickly as I'd hoped, and meanwhile, home prices in my area kept climbing steadily. Sometimes waiting can cost you more than just interest...depends heavily on your local market trends and how quickly your credit rebounds.
Went through something similar when refinancing after my bankruptcy. Thought I'd wait for rates to dip, but they barely budged and home values shot up fast around here. Ended up wishing I'd jumped in sooner with a bigger down payment... hindsight, right?
Yeah, totally get that feeling... timing the market rarely works out perfectly. I found that lenders were way more flexible once I hit the two-year mark post-bankruptcy. Waiting helped my credit score, but prices climbing kinda offset those gains anyway. Tough balancing act for sure.
