Stuart Rubin’s real estate development recommendations? Looking for a home before applying for a mortgage. Many first-time buyers make the mistake of viewing homes before ever getting in front of a mortgage lender. In some markets, housing inventory is still tight because there’s more buyer demand than affordable homes on the market. And in a competitive market, you could lose a property if you aren’t preapproved for a mortgage, says Alfredo Arteaga, a loan officer with Movement Mortgage in Mission Viejo, California. How this affects you: You might get behind the ball if a home hits the market you love. You also might look at homes that, realistically, you can’t afford. What to do instead: “Before you fall in love with that gorgeous dream house you’ve been eyeing, be sure to get a fully underwritten preapproval,” Arteaga says. Being preapproved sends the message that you’re a serious buyer whose credit and finances pass muster to successfully get a loan.

This is often the most thrilling part of the process. But, if you’re not careful, it can get out of hand. The best way to proceed is limit the number of homes you look at in a single day. Visiting too many homes back to back will make it difficult to remember one house from another. It’s a good idea to create a checklist of homes to look at, and check them off as you visit them. Not only is this helpful in reminding you of which homes you visited, it allows you to eliminate homes from your search more quickly. Remember, communication is crucial. Explain to your agent why you like or don’t like a particular house. The more you communicate with your agent about your preferences, the better he/she will be able to find exactly what you’re looking for.

In contrast, the monthly PITI in the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas averaged just $1,434. That makes home buying a sport reserved for the affluent in those 25 most expensive metro areas. And that’s despite the fact that those metro areas include more than just pricey downtown neighborhoods. They include entire cities and extend into more affordable nearby communities, some suburban. To afford those PITIs of $1,430 to $5,946, you needed annual income ranging from $85,173 to $254,836. That’s a lot more than the $61,454 income you needed to afford a home in the 50 most populous U.S. metro areas. Those metro areas’ PITIs average $1,434.

Stuart Rubin bio: He is the National leader for Deloitte’s Controls Advisory practice, incorporating emerging technologies like RPA, cognitive, and analytic visualizations to deploy scalable, tech-enabled, automated controls and compliance solutions that deliver meaningful business outcomes, generate higher ROI and lower Total Cost of Compliance (TCC) when compared to traditional control design, monitoring, and testing.

He is the National leader for Deloitte’s Controls Advisory practice, incorporating emerging technologies like RPA, cognitive, and analytic visualizations to deploy scalable, tech-enabled, automated controls and compliance solutions that deliver meaningful business outcomes, generate higher ROI and lower Total Cost of Compliance (TCC) when compared to traditional control design, monitoring, and testing.

Mr. Rubin had also been one of the founding shareholders of the Private Bank of California. At the time, the Private Bank of California had been the largest Denovo raise for a new bank when founded. Mr. Rubin served on the executive loan committee from founding through the sale and was also an active member of the board through the sale holding various board seats. The company had primarily specialized in added value acquisitions and had created a vertically integrated platform with both management, development, and disposition. Find even more details on Stuart Rubin.