Putting the pieces together in the puzzle of purchasing a home can be challenging.

The housing market has shown signs of rebounding from the 2008 housing loan debacle. In conjunction with the improvement of the job market and relatively low interest rates, many individuals are thinking about buying a home.

"You want to build the puzzle first, understand what it is you want, and then go from there," explained Levi Brower, a financial professional with AXA Advisors, LLC. "This applies to purchasing a home all the way through to planning for retirement."

Since 1859, AXA Advisors, LLC, has provided its clients with stability and reliability in helping them achieve financial peace of mind while developing customized investment, risk management and financial strategies.

"The point is to protect your future," Brower said.  "My goal here is that I can help them ‘plan, prepare and take action' in realizing their goals."

An Army veteran from a family with a long tradition of military service, Brower exudes a connection with individuals seeking to begin putting together their financial and housing puzzle.

"I got into the financial world because I want to help people," he explained. "To me, it is about helping military families, small business owners, the rancher, the farmer, the blue collar people who work hard for a living."

Having grown up among the people he seeks to help with their financial goals, Brower is playing to his strengths.

To emphasize his point, he explained that most individuals' financial goals fall into three categories - short, intermediate and long-term.

He called this the Three Buckets approach.

The short-term bucket holds the goals that can be achieved in less than three years; the intermediate bucket holds the plans that can be achieved in three to 10 years; the long-term bucket holds the financial dreams of a decade and longer.

"Buying a home," Brower explained, "falls in the intermediate and long-terms buckets."

Once the needs and goals of each bucket are defined, concerns such as investment flexibility and taxation and costs are examined to determine how clients can best realize their goals.

"Think of this a situation report, or SIT REP," he continued. "A concept of how to save to purchase a home is developed, and at the end of the day we have an operations order, or OP order, to work from."

Brower went on to explain that he works to help potential homebuyers maximize their money.

"This is a key concept," he said.  "Creating a funding program that works for you and then sticking with it is vital."

He added that in figuring out how a client plans for the purchase of a home or for  retirement, a number of factors are carefully considered.

"In the end, this is about maximizing your money," he concluded, "and making your money work for you,"

For more information, visit www.levi.brower@axa-advirosr.com or call 253.499.2797.