Home Buying Guide – 6 Tips when Purchasing a Home

These 6 buying tips will save you time, money, and headaches.

1.  Get Pre-Qualified with a LOCAL, TRUSTED lender– before you can seriously consider purchasing a home, it’s important to know exactly how much you can purchase. This can be the scariest part of the buying process for some. It’s perfectly natural to be nervous, but we can put you in touch with someone you can trust to help get you pre-qualified.  Let me know if I can refer you to some outstanding local lenders.

2.  Always Think Resale – In the US, due to the mobility of our economy, the length of ownership is about 5 to 7 years. This is important to keep in mind when looking for your next home. For instance, homes backing up to a busy street or railroad sell for less, and take longer to sell than other homes in the neighborhood.

6 tips when purchasing a home3.  Aesthetics Can Be Changed – flooring, light fixtures, plumbing, paint colors and wallpaper can all be Don’t let the lime green wallpaper turn you off of your potential dream home. Think of how much fun it will be to make a home yours!  See the next tip….

4.  80% / 10% / 10% Rule – If the home meets 80% of your criteria and if 10% of the home can be changed and 10% are things you can live with, then you found a great home for you!

5.  Don’t WAIT! – to often, we have seen home buyers fall in love with a property, wait a few days to make a decision because they are nervous, and the home that they fell in love with SOLD! If you love the home, don’t wait for someone else to live in YOUR home – be prepared to write an offer!

6.  Compare Sales – to determine the best price to offer, or to know if the asking price is correct, I’ll show you the recent sales of similar homes.  I’m here to help you with this analysis.

See more articles in my Home Buying Guide:

Must-Have Online Research Tools Every Buyer Needs
The 8 Most Important People You Need to Know in Real Estate
10 Critical Questions to ask your Realtor
Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Home
Financing and the Costs to Buy a Home
10 Commandments when Applying for your Loan
How Buyers Can Negotiate Successfully in a Seller’s Market