Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Nine Questions to Ask Before Buying Your First Home

Buying your first home can be as exciting as it is demanding. Home ownership is a huge part of the long-term goals of many individuals especially as it provides much needed space for growing families. However, it is important to give this plan some thought as there is no time given to “think about it” after the purchase and there is no refund policy for you too. Hence, you must ask yourself the right questions, so you do not end up making costly mistakes. Here are nine practical and important questions you must ask yourself before you buy a home.

Why am I buying a Home?

This is arguably the most crucial question you must ask yourself as it is vital before you begin considering your options. Do you wish to buy and rent it? Are you going to live in it? Finding answers to these questions will help you determine the size of house that you would purchase and the loan structure that best suits the purchase.

What are your Long-term Career Plans?

Although you may have factored in the financial implications of a home purchase and consider yourself ready to buy a home, your career path may be an obstacle. If there is a chance you could be transferred from your current office location in the next few years, it may be ideal to reconsider your options.

What Kind of Neighborhood do you desire?

While your current situation – nature of job and age could play a big factor in deciding your choice of neighborhood, you might want to consider other factors such as the ease of access to public parks, the quality of local schools, and any other relevant environmental factors if you are thinking about starting a family in few years.

What is the nature of the house?

It would be near impossible to get the perfect house upgrade. The beauty of the wood floors or the amazing nature of the bay window may seem attractive, but you must really take a hard look at how outdated the apartment is and how much time you would invest if you engage in DIY projects yourself. This will help you avoid purchasing a home you could regret in future.
How much Utility can you reasonably afford?
Although your usage will largely depend on your family size, identifying the utilities you need to pay, and all the costs associated with moving into a potentially larger home will help you in making a wise decision.
Are there any environmental issues in the neighborhood?
Look out for any polluted sites in the area that may contain hazardous materials or any other contamination that could lead to emission of unhealthy fumes. You can make use of the Environment Protection Agency website to identify such areas.
What is the Security Situation?
You may be satisfied with the nature of the house and the local schools; however, you must consider the security of the area. In many cases, realtors may not inform you about every detail concerning the crime rate and overall security situation of the area. It is recommended that you contact the local police, ask for relevant security statistics and decide.
What would your Work Commute look like?
Have you found the perfect house already? Your work commute in the morning and evening should play a big part in your decision and if you find out you cannot bear the commute; the house is not one for you.
What is the Condition of the Drainage?
It is understandable for you to fantasize about the patios and visually pleasing lawns. However, the gutters are usually expensive to take care of when there is a problem. When it rains, does water pour over the gutters? Are there functional gutter guards in place? What is the proximity of the water emptying system to your house? These factors are crucial as you take that big step.
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, February 8, 2018

What your Buyer’s Agent Will Do for You

Are you considering the purchase of a new home?  Buying a home is never a simple task.  In order to purchase a home there are a number of elements that go into it.  One thing for sure is that you must have the cooperation of the individuals currently in possession of the home you are looking to buy.  Usually sellers have listed their homes with a seller’s agent as they are looking to find a buyer, so this part is usually a fairly simple part of the process.

Buying a house can be a very taxing and time-consuming process.  It can end with its fair share of problems as well if you don’t choose the right buyers agent.  To decrease the stress that comes along with the buying process, hiring a buyer’s agent is what you need to do. A good buyer’s agent ensures that you buy a house at the best possible price and with minimal exertion.

What does a buyer’s agents do?

Agents are essentially the main broker in such operations and deal in every aspect based on their client’s wishes. Hence, agents must have a great knowledge of everything related to houses, including marketing trends, street smarts, and thorough information about all the areas with houses for sale. Agents are the ones to initially advise you about the kind of property you should look for based on your wishes. After that, the buyer’s agent looks for houses meeting the requirements that their clients have expressed.

Real estate agents must have thorough knowledge of all the locations in which houses are for sale and must have a grab of the market trend prevalent in those areas. While dealing with the sale of the property, the agent is the one who talks and deals with the owners of the property, while representing the wishes of their clients. It is a buyer’s agent’s duties to make sure their client purchases the house they want at the best possible price and with the least hassle.

What you should expect?

It is important that buyers work with reputable agents since agents get a cut out of every single successful deal, they may often try to swindle you by brokering deals without disclosing all the details to you. Worse, agents might end up cheating you out of all the money you are entitled to with charges they might not have told you about before. Not all buyer’s agents are like this, with many being honest and highly efficient at their work. It is your job as the buyer of a home to find an agent that is dedicated to your needs.

Finding the Best Agent

It is necessary to hire the best possible real estate agent you can find. It is advised to always look for agents or real estate agencies that have a very good reputation in the market and a good reputation with previous clients. You need to thoroughly search for the real estate agent that works best according to your needs. Often you can easily tell the intentions of any agent at the very first meeting if you go with the intention of judging them. Many real estate deals end up in legal battles because of agent discrepancies, so make sure you buy the best possible buyer’s agent. A good buyer’s agent makes sure that you buy a house at the best possible deal while feeling the least stress during the process of buying 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.