How to Buy a Home the Easy Way! Avoid 10 Common
Potentially Devastating Mistakes Home Buyers Make.
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| Be Columbo ñ check out all expenses. Taxes, utilities, owner dues...everything! |
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Buying a home can be a “hair-raising” experience. It can be a
roller coaster of emotions... finding the right place... securing the
loan... moving in. And if you’re like most of us, your home will
be your largest investment. The emotions over such a large and
personal purchase can often cloud good business judgment.
Many home buyers do very little research before “diving in” and
investing their hard-earned money. Before doing that, doesn’t it
make sense to be as informed as possible? That’s what this report
is all about. It’s designed to help you avoid 10 common, critical
mistakes many home buyers make. If you follow these 10
suggestions, with the help of the right real estate professional,
you’ll make a good sound business decision that you’ll be happy and
proud of for years to come.
1. Inspect, Inspect and Inspect-
Go over the inspection report with a fine tooth comb. Make sure
the report was done by a professional organization. For condo
purchases, go over the by-laws, and association fees. Don’t take
anything for granted... inspect everything!
2. Imagine the Property Vacant-
Your furnishings and decorations will be the ones filling this new
residence. Don’t be swayed by beautiful furniture ... it leaves
with the owner.
3. Income Plus Lifestyle Equals Mortgage Payment-
Sit down with a competent real estate professional and honestly discuss
your income level and living expenses. Take into account future
considerations like: children, add-ons, amenities or fix-ups.
Your dream home is certainly worth a sacrifice but don’t mortgage your
entire future.
4. View Several Homes-
See at least 3-5 properties. Don’t move on the first property you
see but... don’t move too slowly either. With your agent’s help,
you’ll be able to view enough properties to get a good overall
perspective of your market. And when you find the right property,
all the leg work will be worth it.
5. Utilize Your Team-
By aligning yourself with the right real estate professional, you’ll
have an entire team working for you. Top real estate
professionals have lenders, title reps, inspection teams - an entire
group of trained professionals making the whole buying experience
simple and easy for you.
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| Before you sign do a final walk-through and be sure the property was left per contract. |
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6. Be Columbo-
Check out all your costs and expenses before you sign: utilities,
taxes, insurance, maintenance and homeowner dues, if applicable.
Make sure all utilities are on (gas, electricity, and water), so you
can inspect everything in working order. Ask lots of questions
and be very detail conscious.
7. Do a Final Walk-Through-
Visit the property after all the furnishings have been moved out to be
sure there are no surprises. Be absolutely positive the property
was left exactly as you had agreed upon in the contract. Many
times, things are unintentionally overlooked that could have been
spotted in a final walk-through.
8. Plan For Flexibility-
Closing dates are not written in stone. Allow for contingencies
and have a back-up plan. If you or the sellers need a little more time
to conclude the final arrangements, don’t let these delays upset or
frustrate you. These types of circumstances are not uncommon in a
real estate transaction.
9. If It’s Not In Writing, It Doesn’t Exist-
All promises and discussions are to be in writing. Don’t make any
assumptions or believe any assurances. Even the best intentions
can be misinterpreted. Have your real estate professional keep an
ongoing log (in writing) of all discussions, and get the seller’s
written approval for all agreements.
10. Loyalty Breeds Loyalty-
Be open, honest and up-front with your team. Hard feelings and
disloyalty will cause headaches, delays or may even keep you from
getting into the home you worked so hard to locate. Take the time
to select the right team in the beginning and your first home purchase
will be a simple, easy and profitable experience you’ll have fond
memories of... for years to come.
My hope with this report has been to educate you and help you avoid the
pitfalls many home buyers go through. I hope you found the ideas
valuable and if there is ever any way I can be of service to you or
anyone you care about, please contact me. Your initial
consultation is always completely free of charge and you’re under no
obligation of any kind. We’ll sit down for 15-20 minutes... no
high-pressure, just plain, honest talk about what it’s going to take to
achieve your personal goals. Go ahead, give me a call. I’d
love to hear from you! 718-344-6024.
