FAQ's Buyers Ask When Buying A Home

There are a lot of details when buying a home and homebuyers ask questions-  a lot of them!  The adage remains true, "You don't know what you don't know.  And if you don't ask, you still don't know!"

Curiosity is at an all time high during the home search as buyers and sellers try to size up each other and their motivations.  These are some of the most popular questions from homebuyers:

How long has the home been on the market?
Buyers should be asking this question.  Many times the longer the marketing time usually means it lags as a result of price in relation to its condition and competition.  They view it as "something is wrong with the property" as to why it's still on the market.  Likewise, if the home is priced accordingly, they'll sense the motivation and jump on it, in fear of missing a good deal.

Why is the seller selling?
Every buyer wants to know this and is another question used to try to determine motivation. However, buyers can't assume that the seller's reason is any more of a motivation to sell than the buyers motivation is to buy.  It's a gamble to try to guess.  This is not a material fact, but if either the buyer or the seller knew the other's motivation, it could be used as a negotiation point.
How long have they owned it?  How much did they pay for it?  What do they owe?
Buyers always want to know how much equity sellers have, so they know how much to offer or ask for as far as concessions.  And for the most part this is all public knowledge in North Carolina.  The deed of trust is recorded with the deed and shows how much money is lent.  Any good buyer's agent will figure this out and structure an offer to best suit the buyers.
Any Maintenance/home improvement questions!
How old is the roof, when was the heat pump last serviced, how much are the utilities?  And on and on!  Taking on the responsibility of home ownership is a big deal for many people, and knowing if they're also taking on a money pit can be a deal breaker.  I always recommend to all my homeowners that if they see any "honey-do" projects or little fix-its when they put their home on the market- go ahead and get them fixed!  The less a potential buyer sees wrong with the home, the less they'll investigate for more issues!

For more questions about buying or selling homes, give me a call!

 These are just the most popular- there are PLENTY more to talk about!!  For a complete list of homes for sale in the Jacksonville area, click here.