One of the best ways is to start is to check out the Columbia School District site. In fact, they have been kind enough to create a special tab JUST FOR REALTORS that pulls together the documents that parents moving to the area frequently ask to see.

Columbia public schools currently operates three high schools, three junior high schools, three middle schools, and 19 elementary schools. We will be adding a new 20th elementary school and a 3rd high school in the next year that will change some of the school boundaries.

As you are evaluating neighborhoods, you’ll want to pay particular attention to the attendance area maps for each Columbia school which show their respective subdivision boundary lines.

Breakdown by Grade Level:

Columbia Schools

Check out the feeder school chart to see which elementary schools feed into each of our middle and junior high schools. Each of the schools in Columbia has their own individual website. The easiest way to locate the sites is to start with this list of every Columbia school.

For quantitative test results, visit the Missouri School Improvement Program page for the Columbia school district on the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education site.

Under US Federal Law, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each of the three consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union.

The BEST place to request your free credit reports is at the official joint consumer website: www.annualcreditreport.com.  This is the only website you should use. Stay away from all other websites claiming to offer free credit reports. When you request a “free” credit report from one of these other sites, you are actually applying for credit or signing up for a credit monitoring service!

Monitor your credit reports regularly to protect yourself against potential identify theft. Request a credit report from a different agency every 4 months. In a year, you’ll have seen all 3 reports.

Most home buyers understand the concept of the down payment, but sometimes first-time buyers don’t realize that you’ll need to write an earnest deposit check when you make the offer to buy a home.

Out of pocket fees you can expect to pay before you get to the closing table include:

-Earnest Money Check – Basically, this is your “security deposit” that you put down to show the seller that you are serious about purchasing the home. Your earnest check will be written at the same time that you write your offer to buy the home. It will become part of your down payment if the offer is accepted. If the offer is rejected, the earnest money check will be returned to you. During the contingency period (when the inspections are being done), the money may be returned to you if the contingencies are not met to your satisfaction. But, once we have a valid contract and all contingencies are removed, if you pull out of the deal, you potentially forfeit this money. How much is enough? At a minimum, you should expect to put up the equivalent of 2 to 3 months rent or 1 to 3% of the purchase price as a deposit.

-Home Inspection Fee – Most inspectors expect to be paid when the work is done although billing the closing is sometimes possible for an additional fee. Your general structural / mechanical inspection will cost between $250 to $350. If you want a Radon inspection, that is typically an additional $125. Termite inspections run an additional $60 to $75. Inspections are worth EVERY PENNY.

-Credit Report Fee – Your lender will need to check your credit before you can be pre-approved for a loan. Expect to pay $25 to $50 per borrower.

-Appraisal Fee – Your lender will need to hire an appraiser to verify that the house is worth the amount they are lending. As the buyer, you’ll pay for the appraisal. Typically this is charged to the closing, but you could be asked to pay it up front. Appraisals usually run $300 to $350.

By now, most Columbia residents have heard about the $7,500 IRS tax credit for first-time home buyers. It was supposed to stimulate the Columbia housing market.  But has it?

In my humble opinion, the Columbia program has failed to stimulate first-time home buying because it is largely misunderstood.  The very name “tax credit” is confusing.  When asked what they know about the program, Columbia first-time home buyers respond with questions like: “What if I don’t owe any taxes?” Once you get past those initial questions and explain that this is a no-interest government loan repayable at $500 year over 15 years, you raise even more concerns.

Probably the biggest reason that the innovative Columbia program hasn’t been effective, is that the money is not available to first-time home buyers when they are actually purchasing the home in Columbia.  In most cases, those who qualified for the program when it went into effect in April 2008 are only just now filing for the credit on their tax returns.

Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) recently launched a new product to enable more Columbia first-time home buyers to take advantage of the federal first-time home buyer tax credit. This Columbia program is the first of its kind in the nation.

How the MHDC Tax Credit Advance Loan Program Works
MHDC makes a second mortgage to the first-time home buyer at the time of closing worth up to 6% of the home purchase price or a maximum of $6,750, which is used to cover down payment and closing costs. The tax credit advance loan for first-time home buyers is paired with MHDC financing for the first mortgage in the form of a safe 30 year, fixed rate mortgage. The Columbia first-time home buyer then files for the federal tax credit and uses the credit refund to pay off the MHDC tax credit advance loan. If the tax credit advance loan is paid off by the designated deadline (no later than June, 2010), the homeowner pays no interest other than a modest servicing fee. If the tax credit advance loan is not paid in full by the deadline, principal and interest payments to repay the loan over 10 years begin automatically.

MHDC loan programs are available for first-time home buyers with incomes up to $85,500.

The federal tax credit and the MHDC tax credit advance loan program are set to expire June 30, 2009.