Buying A House: Your To Do List While Shopping For A Home

I covered the other day a list of things I recommend to all potential home buyers before they go out and start to look at homes. But what if you have done all that and are ready to look at homes...Are there any tips or things to think about when looking at a home to purchase? YES First, I always tell clients I am not a salesman but a Realtor. By that I define myself by not trying to sell them a home but help them locate the right home for them. Sometimes it takes asking the hard questions and telling a client to move on because that home is not right for you because of these issues....Ultimately though it is your decision on whether to buy or not to buy. I try to guide you to your wants and needs and point out things that you may not notice when looking at a house and ask a lot of questions..... This is my job. If your Realtor is not doing this find out why.... Second, remember you are buying not only a home but a mortgage payment as well. Make sure that the home and the mortgage payment are both in line with your desires and comfort range. If someone tells me that they are comfortable with $1000.00 a month payment with 3.5% down payment on a FHA loan I am not going to show them homes that the payments are $1200.00 to $1300.00. That means you are stretching. Make sure you know what your comfort level is and stay within that level. A couple hundred dollars now (and if you have never owned before) can add up to a lot more when you have the additional expenses of home ownership added on. Third, the photos may look great on the internet but an inspector will find and tell you what is wrong with the house. Do not freak out. Every house has something wrong with them. The question is are those issues things that can be easily repaired and fixed or are the part of a greater issue...Having a home inspection is crucial and if you have doubts always get it checked out. Fourth, all the things you see on TV about buying a house. Throw those ideas out the window. If only reality was as easy as TV makes it out to be. It is a long process and can be tedious at times. But you need to go in with a clear understanding and expectation of time involved in finding the right house for you...... Last, location. Make sure you are in an area you are comfortable with driving to and from work. I even recommend to out of state buyers to try the traffic one day coming home from work to get an idea of what you will experience every day....Most people look at a map and say it is only 10 miles. But those ten miles could take you 40 to 50 minutes a day each way? Were you expecting that? If you are thinking about these things when looking at a house you should be fine. That with the help of your Realtor (which is why I put that first) should get you through the process smoothly. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Helen Adams Realty Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@helenadamsrealty.com www.davedicecco.com

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