Spring into Home Ownership: How to Prepare for Buying a Home This Season

Home Blog Spring into Home Ownership: How to Prepare for Buying a Home This Season

Posted On: March 24, 2025 by Peoples Bank of Kankakee County in: Home Mortgages

Spring and summer are some of the busiest times of the year for the housing market. With warmer weather, longer days, and more homes hitting the market, it’s the perfect time to start your home ownership journey. Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or looking to upgrade, preparing early can make all the difference in securing your dream home with the right mortgage.

Get Your Finances in Order

Before you start browsing listings, take time to review your financial situation. A little preparation now can help streamline the mortgage process and give you a competitive edge when making an offer.

✅ Check Your Credit Score: A higher credit score can help you qualify for better mortgage rates. Request a free credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com and address any errors or outstanding debts before applying for a loan.

✅ Assess Your Budget: Determine how much you can afford by factoring in your down payment, monthly mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs.

✅ Save for a Down Payment: Depending on the loan type, you may need anywhere from 3% to 20% down. The more you save, the lower your monthly payments will be.

Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

A mortgage pre-approval can give you a clear picture of how much you can borrow and show sellers that you’re a serious buyer.

Why It Matters: Pre-approval strengthens your offer in a competitive market and speeds up the home-buying process.
What You Need: Be prepared to provide financial documents, such as pay stubs, tax returns, and bank statements.
Work with a Trusted Lender: At Peoples Bank, we’re here to guide you through the mortgage process and help you find the best loan for your needs.

Start Your Home Search with Confidence

Once your finances are in order and you’re pre-approved, you can start your home search with confidence. Consider working with a real estate agent who understands the market and can help you find homes that fit your budget and lifestyle.

Why Spring & Summer Are Ideal for Buying a Home

More Inventory: Sellers list more homes during the warmer months, giving you more options.
Better Weather for House Hunting: Enjoy touring homes without worrying about winter conditions.
Easier Moving Conditions: If you’re relocating, summer provides a smoother transition for families and students.

Let Peoples Bank Help You Make the Move

Buying a home is an exciting milestone, and we’re here to make the mortgage process simple and stress-free. Whether you're buying your first home, upgrading, or refinancing, our mortgage specialists are ready to assist.

Start preparing today so you’re ready to make your move this spring or summer. Contact Peoples Bank to explore your mortgage options and take the first step toward homeownership!

???? Call us today or visit our website to learn more!

An overdraft occurs when you do not have enough money in your account to cover a transaction, but we pay it anyway. We can cover your overdrafts in two different ways:

We have standard overdraft practices that are available after your account has been open for 30 days and as long as you maintain your account in good standing.
We also offer an overdraft protection plan, Overdraft Protection Sweep, a link to a savings account. It may be less expensive than our standard overdraft practices. To learn more, ask us about this plan.

This notice explains our standard overdraft practices.

What are the standard overdraft practices that come with my account?

After your account has been open for 30 days and as long as you maintain your account in good standing, we do authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions:

Checks and other transactions made using your checking account number
Automatic bill payments

We do not authorize and pay overdrafts for the following types of transactions unless you ask us to (see below):

ATM transactions
Everyday debit card transactions

We pay overdrafts at our discretion, which means we do not guarantee that we will always authorize and pay any type of transaction.

If we do not authorize and pay an overdraft, your transaction will be declined.

What fees will I be charged if Peoples Bank of Kankakee County pays my overdraft?

Under our standard overdraft practices:

We will charge you a fee of up to $30 each time we pay an overdraft.
The maximum daily overdraft fee per presentment or item paid using the Overdraft Reserve Program is $150.00 per day.
No per item handling fee will be charged on de minimis overdrafts. De minimis overdraft for this policy means transactions that overdraw your account by $30 or less.
There is an overdraft fee of $5 per day that will be charged beginning the 4th consecutive business day your account is overdrawn.

Nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees - if an item drafted by you (such as a check) or a transaction you set up (such as a preauthorized transfer) is presented for payment in an amount that is more than the amount of money in your account and we decide not to pay the item or transaction, you agree that we can charge you an NSF fee for returning the payment. Be aware that such an item or payment may be presented multiple times by the merchant or other payee until it is paid, and that we do not monitor or control the number of times a transaction is presented for payment. You agree that we may charge you an NSF fee each time a payment is presented if the amount of money in your account is not sufficient to cover the payment, regardless of the number of times the payment is presented.

PAYMENT ORDER OF ITEMS - The law permits us to pay items drawn on your account in any order (for purposes of this section "items" means checks, orders and electronic transactions). To assist you in handling your account with us, we are providing you with the following information regarding how we process those items. When processing checks and orders drawn on your account our policy is to pay lower numbered checks and orders in numerical sequence, but electronic transactions are paid first in the order received. The order in which items are paid is important if there is not enough money in your account to pay all of the items that are presented. There is no policy that is favorable in every instance. If the smallest items are paid first, you may have fewer NSF or overdraft fees, but the largest, and perhaps more important items (such as rent or mortgage payments) might not be paid. However, if the largest items are paid first, your most important items might be paid but it may increase the overdraft or NSF fees if funds are not available to pay all of the items. We think our policy attains a reasonable balance between minimizing additional costs to you and paying your more important items. We encourage you to make careful records and practice good account management. This will help you to avoid creating items without sufficient funds and incurring the resulting fees.

What if I want Peoples Bank of Kankakee County to authorize and pay overdrafts on my ATM and everyday debit card transactions?

If you also want us to authorize and pay overdrafts on ATM and everyday debit card transactions after your account has been open for 30 days, you may opt in.

You have an ongoing right to change this consent at any time. If your overdraft privilege has been revoked for any reason, the opt-in or opt-out selection may not apply. Please contact your nearest office for more information.

Alternate ways to Opt In/Out or make changes:

By Phone. Our Customer Care Representatives can be reached at 815-936-7600.
By Mail. Peoples Bank of Kankakee County, 333 E. Court Street, Kankakee, IL 60901
In Person. Please visit your local office and ask a representative to help you decide which plan is best for you.