Everyone dreams of owning a wonderful house and being able to call it their own. However, buying a piece of real estate can be a stressful and long process, especially if you are unsure of how to go about it. This article will explain some tips and tricks to purchasing real estate and help put your wary buyer’s mind at ease!
One of the best ways to get a great home mortgage is to be able to put some money down on the property. Saving money for a down payment shows responsibility on your behalf and this will entice lenders to actually lend. It also allows you to save money in the long run.
Make sure you check out the qualities of the land that your house is built on. You do not want to be stuck with a home that is going to be prone to flooding or wildfires. You can ask your real estate agent if anything is known about the house’s land and risk of damages.
Ask your real estate agent if a specific home you are looking at has been occupied recently. This is important because many homes that have not had people living in them for months and even years are more than likely not in good shape. Many of these homes will require you to spend more money for repairs.
When attending open houses, ask a contractor who has experience in renovating homes to accompany you. They will notice potential repairs that you might have missed if you went on your own. The contractor can give you an idea of how much you will have to spend to make the property look the way you want it to.
Homes with appliances available in them are great, but they’re also very pricy. And don’t forget that we’re talking about other people’s used appliances. You can save tens of thousands by opting for a home without appliances, and putting new appliances in will only cost a few thousand. That’s a win-win.
Check for illegal additions. Many people do updates and additions to their home without the necessary permits. If you buy a home with an illegal addition, you will be responsible for bringing the work up to code. This could prove very costly in the long run. Compare the actual square footage of the home with the tax assessor’s records to make sure that they match up.
Be on the look out for scams. Although it is not extremely common, some first time investors have purchased properties with inflated value due to falsified or inadequate record-keeping. When purchasing an investment property, you must insist on seeing the seller’s books. And, you should definitely ask the seller to verify anything that catches your attention. Otherwise, you are likely to end up paying far more than the actual value of the property at the time of purchase.
When purchasing a home, know that it really does not make much of a difference to the buyer if you are paying cash or getting a mortgage. To the seller money is money and that is what matters in the end. The fact that you want to pay cash does not make it more likely that they will accept a low ball offer.
When considering the size of the house you would want to get, you should keep in mind what the average buyer is looking for if you want to consider the ease of reselling it in the future. The average buyer is looking for a three or four bedroom house. So this is something you should consider, if you can afford it, since this would help get more potential buyers in your home once you are ready to sell.
If you are interested in buying a short sale home, hire a title expert. This person will complete a title search that lets you know how many liens are attached to the home. Every lien holder must give their okay before a short sale property is sold, so homes with several liens will be more difficult to buy. This information can help you narrow down your selection.
Much like you would with buying a car, try out different functions of the home during your tour. Run the water from the sink and see how long it takes to get hot water. Stand in one room and talk to each other through the wall to see how well insulated it is. These can be major factors in a homes desirability.
When you place an offer on a house you are looking to buy, add certain disclosures to your offer. When you toured the home, you obviously looked at the walls, ceilings, floor, etc, but there are parts of the house that the seller knows inside and out that may pose problems to you later. If you assure that the seller discloses this type of information before the sale, you can decide if you want to pursue the house.
When searching for a home, test the toilets by flushing them. Although this may seem trivial to most people, you do not want to purchase a home that has any kind of plumbing problems. Also, check out the faucets and shower to make sure there are not problems with them either.
Know the limitations on financing investment property. Financing programs that are used for the purchase of an investment property generally have different requirements than those used to purchase residential property. It is important that you realize this before you begin searching for a property. One of the differences will most likely be the downpayment percentage that is required. Lenders view it this way, a buyer is much more likely to default on an investment loan than they are on their own home. Therefore, it makes sense for them to require a larger investment on the part of the buyer in order to protect their interests.
Now that you have been introduced to some simple tips to help your house hunting go smoother, you will be able to get out there and start looking at properties. Remember, the housing market can be a volatile world, so the more you ask questions and do research before making decisions, the better off you will be in the long run!