Whether you are considering buying a ready-made home or purchasing land to build a home upon, your first task is determining where to call home.
Throughout the years I have noticed that most people seem to have a pre-disposition to a type of surroundings – perhaps sunny, rolling, grass covered, oak studded hills or darker, shaded, evergreen covered property. Some people find a view to be more essential than elevation, the smell of the trees and the elevation may be very pertinent and for others it is proximity to family, friends, jobs, lakes, rivers, trails, schools, highways, public transportation and or shopping/dining.
Whatever setting makes your heart sing or your sense of ecology fulfilled is a very individual choice.
1) Get pre-approved for your loan if you need a loan to purchase and understand the requirements of that loan – ie. Most government loans require less money down but the appraisal requirements and inspection requirements as well as the property’s ability to qualify are very important factors when choosing which properties to look at and offer on.
2) Start out with a wish list and determine what items on that list are most essential to you, rank them so that you can keep things in perspective rather than getting caught up in the emotional reaction to a home that does not fit your base needs so that you do not waste your tie or the time of others.
3) Remember that your realtor knows the market, the local customs and how to make an offer as acceptable to the seller as possible so work together to create an offer that the seller will want to take.
4) Always try to see the details through the eyes of the other side – how would you feel if you were the seller instead of the buyer? Keeping this in mind can help create a win, win negotiation that will ultimately benefit you the most.
5) Use common sense and don’t short cut inspections – buying a property is one of if not the largest purchase/financial decision you will make. Termite, whole home, well and septic inspections can be critical to helping you make a sound investment decision as can checking with the building and or planning department for permitting issues and allowable uses. Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish by not performing inspections to save money on the purchase as this can cost a lot more than it saves in the long run if there is something amiss that is not readily apparent but can be negotiated in escrow.
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