When buying a home you want to have all the knowledge and resources to help you along your transaction. Here are some buying tips that are both useful and helpful!
Finding an agent. Whether you know someone who is the business or you have gotten referrals from friends. Make sure you are comfortable with the agent you choose to work with. Feel free to ask them questions and treat your first meeting as an interview. The agent will most likely ask you a lot of questions so feel free to do the same. Communication is key!
Check your listings daily. New homes are listed everyday, and acting fast is key. If you see a listing that just comes on the market that looks of high interest, have your real estate agent make an appointment sooner rather than later. Homes can come and go very quickly and you don’t want to miss out on that “perfect” home.
Bring your notebook! When viewing numerous properties in one day it can be extremely overwhelming. By the end of the day, the homes all seem to fuse together. Bringing a notebook and making key notes about a home, or a pro and con list is an excellent way to keep thoughts and information together.
Getting overwhelmed? When looking at multiple properties your vision of what you are looking for many get altered. With each home you look at you may see things you like, or things you don’t like. This very well could change your list of “must haves.” When you find yourself getting overwhelmed and drifting away from what you originally thought you were looking for, connect with your real estate agent and discuss any concerns.
Do some homework. Driving by potential homes is a great way to check out not only the home, but the neighborhood. Take a look at other homes in the neighborhood, as well as, schools and businesses in the area. Are the neighbor’s homes well taken care of and comparable to the property you are looking at? How are the school ratings? Are the local businesses thriving? These are great things to look into further with your real estate agent.
Have a home inspection. A home inspection performed by a licensed home inspector is a great way to not only find out about issues that you didn’t know were present, but to also learn about the home! It’s always a good idea to bring a notebook and take notes about what the home inspector is seeing.