Get a House Inspection to Set Your Mind At Ease

The house you’ve chosen to buy may look exactly like the home you’ve always envisioned – great neighborhood, granite countertops, plenty of room to entertain. But, there may be some hidden sins that you’re not aware of. The few hundred dollars it will cost you to get a pre-inspection of the home can come back to you tenfold if there’s anything significantly wrong with the house. Even if there are no hidden problems, you’ll have peace of mind that’s so important during the house-buying process. During the home inspection, the inspector will examine the home thoroughly and provide you with an evaluation of the condition of the home. Even though the home inspector may not catch every issue with the home, they are experts in what they do and can recognize costly, potential problems in the future. If the inspector finds quite a few problems with home, you can use that information to your advantage by negotiating a lower price or have it written in the contract that the owne

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Educate Yourself to Make Smart Home-Buying Decisions

Don’t wait until it’s time to sign the contract to educate yourself about the intricacies of buying a home. Failing to plan properly for one of the most expensive and largest purchases you’ll ever make can lead to many regrets and problems later on. First-time buyers are especially vulnerable to making mistakes if they don’t educate themselves beforehand. Even if you’ve purchased one or more homes in the past, it’s a good idea to educate yourself all over again to discover changes that have taken place in the real estate market. Choose the type of mortgage that’s best for you – a VA, FHA or USDA. There’s also the question of whether or not you should apply for an ARM (Adjustable-Rate Mortgage) or a fixed rate. Your real estate agent and/or lender should be a great resource for those answers. Execute a study of real estate in the neighborhood you like and want to purchase in. Check out whether homes are selling fast or lagging behind on the market. If the latter is

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Don’t Get Trapped by Real Estate Buzz Words

Even if you’re not in the market to purchase a home you’ve likely been exposed to certain buzz words used in ads and other marketing media to get your attention and make you want to see the home. If you are in the market to buy a home, it’s important that you know the tricks of the real estate trade and not get sucked in to the hype. Besides wasting your time looking at duds, you may find yourself spending too much money on one. One real estate agent said that words in real estate listings such as charming, fantastic and cozy make the property sound great, but may actually mean something else. For example, the word, charming, may mean that it’s tiny, dark and old. Exclamation points after the words should also alert you to problems you may find in the home. When ‘fantastic’ and ‘great neighborhood’ is followed with exclamation points in real estate ads you can expect to find problems in the house. Some terms are used by real estate agents who are too lazy to choose

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Determining the Must-Have Features of Your New Home

Before you purchase a home – whether new or old – you should have a checklist of must-have features. You probably won’t get all of the features you want, but you can prioritize them into features you can’t live without and those you can compromise on. When your agent shows you a home, envision you and/or your family living there. Is there enough counter space in the kitchen to accommodate your cooking style? Try out everything – flush the toilet, turn on water in sinks and showers and check the electrical outlets. If there are many little problems in the home, there are likely big ones that you’ll need to deal with on a daily basis. So, even though you may think you’ve found your dream home, don’t let it turn into a nightmare from the little stuff. Will your furniture fit in your new home? Or, will the style of furniture you love fit into the style of home you’ve chosen? If you’re in love with sleek and modern, you probably don’t want to furnish a historical ho

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Consider the Neighborhood

You may be so enamored with the house that you fail to observe what’s going on in the surrounding area. It’s important that you take notice of the neighborhood you’re considering and determine if it’s the right fit for you and your family. Purchasing a home is an investment – usually for the long term, so take time to notice the pulse of the community. Talk to neighbors if possible and note if the area is perhaps in transition from being a bad neighborhood to an up-and-coming one – or has it already made the transition. One way to determine if the price of the home you’re considering is fair for the neighborhood is to research home values and foreclosures in the locality. Homes in transitional neighborhoods may be a good investment, but it could take time for that to happen. Considering the school system in the area is a major decision factor if you have children. You can get grades and ranks of schools in the area at some online sites such as GreatSchools.org. Y

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Buying a Home that Fits Your Lifestyle

Finding the right home and one that truly fits your lifestyle is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. It should fit with your lifestyle and have the right floor plan and style that you’ll love for years to come. Size is important when considering a home. If you’ve got a large family, they probably won’t be comfortable in a small two-bedroom, but a sprawling ranch-style may not be the best choice either unless it meets other needs – such as enough bathrooms. Floor plans may vary according to location. For example, if you live in the city, floor plans may range from multi-level brownstones while more suburban settings will give you more outdoor space and room to grow. Clearly, if you enjoy living in an urban area where you’re close to restaurants, shops and other amenities, you should look for a downtown home that fits your style and your needs. Growing families may be better off in a country or suburban settings where schools and the neighborhood are importan

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Attend Open Houses to Get a Feel for What You Want – and Don’t Want

You’ve outgrown the house you’re in and find out you qualify for a mortgage that will let you upsize. Or, your kids have flown the nest and you’re ready to sell the family home and downsize – or, you may be a first time home-buyer and need help deciding what you want. Whatever the reason for purchasing a home, it’s important that you get a feel for what you want so you don’t spin your wheels and waste time – or end up with something you didn’t really want. Open houses provide a taste of what your lifestyle would be if you decide to buy something similar. Unless the seller still lives in the house the realtor will often stage the homes with furniture and design touches to help you visualize living there. Attending open houses provide information that will be useful to you when you make a final decision. You’ll get to explore other neighborhoods, check out school or amenities you’re interested in and explore the various floor plans available. If you’re in the ma

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5 Mistakes First Time Home-Buyers Make

People are in a home-buying frenzy now with home prices relatively low as are mortgage rates. Experts are predicting that more gains will be made within the housing market during the years ahead. Along with the hot home-buying market come heavy competition for the homes and many are making all-cash offers. But, if you aren’t familiar with all the complexities of purchasing a home, you may have future financial regrets. There are five top mistakes that first-time homebuyers often make. First, they don’t consider renting a home. Although purchasing a home is often the best financial decision you could make, it doesn’t work for everyone. For example, if you know you’ll only be in the home for a couple of years it may not make sense to buy after you amortize the closing costs for that time period. Second, they don’t consider costs other than down payment. Homeowner’s insurance, maintenance or HOA (Home Owner’s Association) fees and closing costs may eat up your savings and

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