3
Realty Shopping Tips For All Purchasers Keeping an open mind when purchasing real estate is always good advice. There is also lots of other great advice and suggestions to follow that will keep you ahead of the pack when it comes to your real estate purchases, either now or in the future. Keep reading if you want to keep learning. Although it is a cliche, it helps to remember that all real estate is local. Just because USA Today says that real estate prices have declined for two straight years doesn't mean that now is a good time to sell or buy! Talk to a local real estate agent to get the feel of local conditions. Know the laws in respect to real estate inspections. You do not need to be an expert on the subject, however, a working knowledge of the basics can give you some helpful insight in what to expect from your inspector as well as preventing them from costing you money on surprise repairs. When entering into any real estate deal, it is always best to hire a lawyer. The contracts and requirements of buying real estate can be overwhelming. A real estate lawyer can be the deciding factor in making sure you get not only the best deal, but also the protection you need. To save money when you are buying real estate, you should bring a contractor http://www.realestateabc.com/homebuying/ who remodels homes along, to look at the final selection. A regular home inspector is there to find problems, but a contractor can also give you a much better idea of how much time and money it will take to get the results you want, before you've committed to the house. Plan on paying for private mortgage insurance if the down payment on your new home is less than twenty percent. The cost of your insurance will vary from person to person and location to location, but the average is $50 to $80 per month. You may be required to pay this amount until the equity you have in your home reaches the twenty percent threshold. If you are a renter and you are thinking about buying a home, you need to keep in mind that monthly costs associated with owning a home are usually more than renting, after you figure out the total cost of mortgage, maintenance, taxes and utilities. If this seems to be too much for you, then you should probably stick to renting. Even if you think you know more about real estate than most people, real estate agents are valuable assets worth paying for when looking to buy or sell a home. They know their area well and can often spot someone charging too much or too little for a home before anyone else can. Build a strict set of goals when selling or buying your real estate. This will help you to establish boundaries in not only monetary terms, but also in other areas such as locations or features. It will also help you setup due dates for success. In the end, this will enable you and the other party to "get on the same page." After you have found a home that you would like to purchase, spend a little time carefully considering what offer to make on the residence. Take into account how much you can afford to spend as well as any mitigating factors affecting the seller. For example, if the seller has several offers on the property, you may need to offer more money than you would have otherwise. By taking the time to think things through, you will be in a better position to negotiate.

Realty Shopping Tips For All Purchasers

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Realty Shopping Tips For All Purchasers

Realty Shopping Tips For All Purchasers

Keeping an open mind when purchasing real estate is always good advice. There is also lots of othergreat advice and suggestions to follow that will keep you ahead of the pack when it comes to yourreal estate purchases, either now or in the future. Keep reading if you want to keep learning.

Although it is a cliche, it helps to remember that all real estate is local. Just because USA Today saysthat real estate prices have declined for two straight years doesn't mean that now is a good time tosell or buy! Talk to a local real estate agent to get the feel of local conditions.

Know the laws in respect to real estate inspections. You do not need to be an expert on the subject,however, a working knowledge of the basics can give you some helpful insight in what to expectfrom your inspector as well as preventing them from costing you money on surprise repairs.

When entering into any real estate deal, it is always best to hire a lawyer. The contracts andrequirements of buying real estate can be overwhelming. A real estate lawyer can be the decidingfactor in making sure you get not only the best deal, but also the protection you need.

To save money when you are buying real estate, you should bring a contractorhttp://www.realestateabc.com/homebuying/ who remodels homes along, to look at the final selection.A regular home inspector is there to find problems, but a contractor can also give you a much betteridea of how much time and money it will take to get the results you want, before you've committedto the house.

Plan on paying for private mortgage insurance if the down payment on your new home is less thantwenty percent. The cost of your insurance will vary from person to person and location to location,but the average is $50 to $80 per month. You may be required to pay this amount until the equityyou have in your home reaches the twenty percent threshold.

If you are a renter and you are thinking about buying a home, you need to keep in mind that monthlycosts associated with owning a home are usually more than renting, after you figure out the totalcost of mortgage, maintenance, taxes and utilities. If this seems to be too much for you, then youshould probably stick to renting.

Even if you think you know more about real estate than most people, real estate agents are valuableassets worth paying for when looking to buy or sell a home. They know their area well and can oftenspot someone charging too much or too little for a home before anyone else can.

Build a strict set of goals when selling or buying your real estate. This will help you to establishboundaries in not only monetary terms, but also in other areas such as locations or features. It willalso help you setup due dates for success. In the end, this will enable you and the other party to "geton the same page."

After you have found a home that you would like to purchase, spend a little time carefullyconsidering what offer to make on the residence. Take into account how much you can afford tospend as well as any mitigating factors affecting the seller. For example, if the seller has severaloffers on the property, you may need to offer more money than you would have otherwise. By takingthe time to think things through, you will be in a better position to negotiate.

Page 2: Realty Shopping Tips For All Purchasers

If you are in a bind and have to buy a home even though you have not sold your other home, makesure that you can afford to pay for both mortgages for quite a bit of time. This will keep you fromgetting into financial trouble with your original property.

If you are investing in real estate in the hopes that you can make a profit, it is important that youbuy low so that you can make the best profit. The lower in the market cycle you can buy, the moreprofit you will make in the long run.

Your perfect choice, both as an investment and as a place to live, should be a property that is inexcellent condition and in a good location. This ensures that the value of your property will increaseover time, and that you will find it to be the most ideal living situation.

If you are making an offer on a home, try to stay away from making an offer that is extremely farunder the asking price. When you do this, the seller of the house may not be interested in your offerand may be turned away from you. If you keep the offer at a reasonable lower price, the seller mightactually house for rent consider it.

When looking at houses that you may purchase, be sure to check out the storage options in thehouse. Make sure that all of your belongings will fit into areas, such as bedroom closets. You want toavoid buying a home that will not fit your needs. Check to see if you will have a closet for yourbathroom, as this can be easily overlooked.

If you want to be sure that what you see is what you get from your next home purchase, then homeinspections are a necessity. While some of these inspections are costly, the cost of fixing majorissues not covered in your sales contract is sure to be higher. Plus, any issues found in inspectionswill either be the responsibility of the seller to fix prior to closing or will be reflected in the closingprice, making these inspections a very worthwhile investment.

Understand the different types ofmortgages, and make sure you make aninformed decision as to what mortgagevehicle you want and for what term. Thereare variable rate mortgages and traditionalmortgages. Even among these two types area variety of other options. Make sure youstudy up on the terminology and be able todiscuss different mortgage vehicles withyour lender.

When considering purchasing a foreclosedproperty at a courthouse auction, many real estate investors are frustrated by the fact that theycannot tour the home in advance of placing a bid. However, a useful tip for such prospectivepurchasers is to visit the property, peek through the windows and try to chat with others who live inthe neighborhood in order to get a feel for the property's condition. That way, it is possible to beprepared for the amount of repair and rehabilitation the home will likely require.

It's time to take this information and put it to good use. A home or an investment property are veryimportant decisions and purchases. You have a solid foundation of understanding that will helpguide you so that you can make good buys and ultimately, a good investment, as well.

Page 3: Realty Shopping Tips For All Purchasers