Looking To Buy A Home? Your Must Do List Before Shopping

In this ever-changing housing market if you are looking to buy a home it has become increasingly important to have your ducks in a row (so to speak) before you go out and look at a home. I have had numerous clients recently look at a house and say let me get with the mortgage broker and go over the numbers and let me check my budget or let me sleep on it....There are many more reasons we all wait. It is a large purchase and the most important one you will make in your lifetime. Of course you are going to want to be cautious. Unfortunately in this housing market with inventory levels at the lowest they have been in for some years in the Charlotte, NC. area that is not necessarily a luxury you can afford if you are looking to buy a house. I had a client on Friday send me 12 house to look at on Monday (his day off). I booked the showings for all twelve of them and by Monday morning we were down to six. That is right over half of them were sold before we even wen and looked at them. You have to be prepared when you go out and look at homes today in order to be in a better position to move on one that you like...Here is my checklist of what you should do before going out to look at homes and putting an offer in: 1. Talk to a mortgage professional or two or three. Shop around and check rates. No two mortgage companies are necessarily going to be the same in terms or rates and the costs involved. You need to get a pre-qualification letter before you go out. 2. Know your budget before shopping for a house. 3. Check for schools and other important things to you about the neighborhood before you look. 4. Have your Realtor pull the comparable in the neighborhood to see what a fair price would be for the house. 5. Find out what the taxes and insurance are going to be on the houses you like and make sure they are in line with what you expected and the mortgage broker quoted you so that you know your total payment. 6. Look at the big picture of a house. Does it have issues you notice that will have to be corrected? Can you afford to do them or are you going to live "house poor"? I never recommend getting a house that needs a lot of updating if you are not financially prepared and ready to undertake the project. Know these answers before you go out and look at homes and it will help you find the right house for you at a price and payment you are comfortable with. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com