4 Questions to Answer BEFORE You Buy A House!

Buying a home can be the biggest investment  a person makes in their entire lifetime.  There are a ton of questions that need answering before it's over with, and you need the right person to ask them to.  Buying a home is a process of elimination, so if you understand what you don't want, it's easier to exclude homes than keep adding ones to the list of homes to see.  If you can answer these top four questions when starting the homebuying process, it will be easier to make an educated and informed decision!

First, Where?
Real estate has always been Location, Location, Location!  Why?  Because it's typically one thing about your home that you absolutely cannot change.  Take into account the neighborhood statistics such as pricing, valuation, crime, public services, school district, commute and neighborhood amenities.  For my family, the neighborhood amenities outweigh the commute.  I would rather have a golf course, pool and nature trails and have to drive just a little further to work everyday than live closer but in a neighborhood that doesn't offer anything.

Secondly, How much money do you need to set aside?
This is mostly determined by what type of financing you'll be using, whether or not you'll be putting money down and how far you'll be moving.  You'll want to include enough for closing costs (usually somewhere around 3% of the purchase price just to be super safe,) appraisal and inspection fees, moving costs and transferring utilities.  Of course unforeseen things come up, so it's always better to be safe than sorry with a little extra cushion!

The third question is What's your monthly budget?
It's easy to bite off more than you can chew by purchasing at the max of what you're qualified for.  However, it's usually smarter to determine what your comfort level is, monthly, to include mortgage, insurance, electric/water/gas, HOA, landscaping, trash service, sewage, etc.  A qualified loan officer should be able to give you an accurate pre qualification based on your monthly budget.

Lastly, choosing a qualified buyer's agent can make or break your homebuying experience!  You want someone in your corner who you're comfortable with and who listens.  After all, you're buying a house.  Wouldn't it be nice to have someone in your corner who can educate you provide guidance as well as keep open lines of communication?  Some REALTORS® have even taken additional education to earn special designations through the National Association of Realtors® such as Accredited Buyers Representation, where they've learned negotiation skills, how to better facilitate transactions for their buyer clients and other techniques.  

Call me today about buying a home!  I'd love to help!