Considering these seven things when buying a home will help you immensely.
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Making the leap from renting to owning can be really exciting, but you want to make sure you’re prepared. These are the top seven things you should consider when buying a home.
- Make a list of your must-haves and your wants. These are two different things, so make sure you have two lists. Really focus on your must-have list, and make sure your want list is realistic with your budget.
- Limit your daily showings. You really don’t want to see too many properties in one day. If you go over five to seven showings, the homes will start to blur together, and you’ll lose sight of what you’re looking for. It’s a good idea to bring a notebook to write down specific things about each home to jog your memory.
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Bring a notebook to write down
specifics about each home.
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specifics about each home.
- Drive by your favorite home at different times of the day. Once you have found a favorite, you’ll want to know what the neighborhood is like. Drive by around 5 p.m. to see what traffic is like or to see how active the neighborhood is in the evening.
- Don’t let interior decorations sour your opinion. These things can be easily changed and shouldn’t sway your opinion of a home.
- Find out what’s included with the home. When you submit an offer, you want to find out if appliances or anything else are included with the sale.
- Ask why the sellers are moving. You might have a little more power if a seller has to leave quickly. However, this mainly applies when the market is catering to both buyers and sellers. If you are in a seller's market, the home is probably going to sell quickly, so you’ll want to keep your offer aggressive.
- Find out the costs of taxes and utilities. In fact, you can ask for copies of the utility bills so you know exactly what those expenses are going be.
If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I am happy to help you with all your real estate needs.
