Thursday, October 26, 2017

5 Things that Every First Time Home Buyer Must Know

Congrats to you if you have made the decision to buy a home for your family. You will be fulfilling the great American dream and also creating an asset for yourself. Buying a home involves major financial transaction. You do not buy homes every now and then. Any mistake or negligence on your part can not only cost you dearly but also make the procedure tiring and tough for you.

Here are 5 things that you must absolutely know about before buying your first home:

  1. Know how much of a home you can afford
Many individuals become excited after landing a decent job. They are in such a hurry that they start conducting search for a home without knowing how much loan they can get from a bank based upon their financial statements. You are only wasting your and your realtor’s time if you do not know how big a home you can afford to buy.
  1. Location is crucial
Every first time home buyer needs to make an assessment of his requirements. This allows him to shortlist neighborhoods on the basis of amenities available, ease of transport, lifestyle, and the requirements of the family. It is no use starting on your search with your realtor without knowing what you want in terms of location of the house.
  1. Keep in mind your budget
You have saved a small amount of money to be given as down payment to the bank. You can easily calculate the price range in which you can buy a home for your family on the basis of this amount. Do not forget to keep aside money to meet the closing costs as well as the fees of your agent. It becomes easier to see houses that fall within your desired price range and politely refuse the request of your agent to see more expensive homes. Ask yourself if you can bite more than you can chew and you will stay on track when searching home for your family.
  1. Are you ready to pay the EMI’s?
Just because you have some money in your saving account does not mean you will be able to easily afford the monthly repayments to your lender. See what the monthly amount that you can pay comfortably is. Do not commit to until you feel you are ready for this kind of a commitment. Buying a home is easier than repaying monthly installment for a long time period of 20-25 years. Understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage clearly before signing the contract.
  1. Pump in as much down payment as you can afford

Your Down Payment Matters

Money spent on down payment should be considered as a wise investment and not as an unnecessary expenditure. You should offer to pay as high a down payment you can possibly afford to get a lower rate of interest and the confidence of the lender. Some individuals make the mistake of holding on to their savings when they get the facility of a no down payment mortgage loan. If you do not have a solid plan of investment, it is better to pay a large sum of money upfront to your lender.

Final Thought On Buying a Home

Buying a home is a huge transaction in your life. It should be based upon research and understanding of your own requirements and ability to repay the loan. Hiring the services of a reliable and experienced realtor can prove to be a very wise decision when buying a home.
Learn more about C21 Lady of the Lakes Realtors and the numerous services they offer including: buying a new home, selling a home, or renting a home at www.ladyofthelakes.com.  To contact one of our real estate agents call 734-426-6060 today.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Have a House Hunting Checklist When Purchasing a Home

When most buyers go to a showing at a home they can be very shy and unsure of what to look for. They behave in a very formal manner and feel awkward to look under the sink or behind the closets when they are being shown around by the owner or the listing agent. Having the feelings of being nosey or think you are invading someones privacy but you surely are not. After all, you will be paying a huge amount of money to the owner if you decide to buy his property. Is it better to feel awkward later on when you find any problems with the house or feel awkward now? Real estate experts say it is better to reassure yourself now than repent later on. They suggest keeping a house hunting checklist with you when you are touring a property.

Explore the Bathroom When Previewing a Home

One of the rooms that every home buyer has interest in seeing is the bathroom. Owners proudly show their bathroom to the visitor but only for as long as they want, not any longer. If you are a smart buyer, make the most of this showing. Excuse yourself saying you need to use the bathroom for a minute. Now you are free to closely examine everything inside the bathroom from the toilet seat and the flush to the bathtub and the faucets. See if the water pressure is nice and the flush is working properly. Some owners consider it as impolite but include bathroom in your house hunting checklist.

Take a Closer Look into the Closets

Owners take potential buyers around their property and show them the closets that look newly painted with new handles. However, they do not like it when a visitor tries to take a look inside these closets. Of course you need not go through his belongings but you are well within your rights when you want to ascertain the actual storage space inside the closets. Include spying inside the closets in your house hunting checklist as you are paying for these closets and you are entitled to find out if your storage needs are fulfilled by these closets or not.

Don’t Wait for the Inspection

Be sure to look carefully at the inside of the attic and the basement and not to take a quick glance. A thorough investigation is what is needed to give a clean chit to these two features inside the house. If the excuse for not showing your around inside both the basement and the attic is the belongings of the owner piled against the walls, you can ask for their removal when you make a second visit to the house. In fact, it should raise suspicion in your mind why the homeowner has stockpiled items in the basement and the attic when he is planning to sell the house? There are reasons why you should feel nervous when you see a packed attic and basement in a house.

Learn more about C21 Lady of the Lakes Realtors and the numerous services they offer including: buying a new home, selling a home, or renting a home at www.ladyofthelakes.com.  To contact one of our real estate agents call 734-426-6060 today.