Buying a new home can be exciting, stressful, scary and wonderful. It can create a Super Bowl of emotions. Below are some guidelines for beginning your search and a few tips to help you begin the process.
1. Know your areas. Explore neighborhoods. Make notes of what is most important to you. Schools should always play a role in your thinking. Children or no children, consider the school district. Good schools help protect home value. Location and lifestyle should also factor into your decision. Once you narrow your search down to an area you like, ask your Realtor to put you on automated searches for homes that are in the area you prefer.
2. Know your price point. Meet with a lender and get prequalified. Explore your options among the many types of loans available. See what works best for your budget. Talk to several lenders. Ask questions if there is something you do not understand. The best interest rate and terrible service could create a nightmare for you. Ask your Realtor for the names of lenders in the area or on the Internet that they have first hand knowledge.
3. Make a checklist of must haves in your future home. If you will not buy a home without a basement then do not look at homes on slabs. Remember keep an open mind about things you can change and do not waste time on homes you cannot change. You cannot easily dig a basement or move a road that is behind you. You can replace wallpaper, paint the house or change landscaping .
4. Make a list of deal killers. Your agent needs to know if you have allergies and cannot buy a home where an animal lived. They ask about this out in advance. If you will not buy a home unless it has a level backyard, then that would be a deal killer. Save yourself time and stress by eliminating these homes. Let your agent do the homework for you.
5. Buying a home is emotional. When looking at homes, visualise your children playing in the backyard or yourself entertaining friends in the finished terrace level. It’s okay to fall in love with a home but just remember in this changing market, someone else may love it as well. Good homes, priced right are selling quickly. In many cases these homes are receiving multiple offers. Discuss market conditions with your Realtor. React immediately if you have found the home of your dreams.
6. Remember that the deals of the past are not as readily available today. You need to know that low offers may not have a role in today’s home sales. This is where a detailed study of the local market is crucial. Some homes are priced perfectly and will sell for list price or higher. Some homes are priced according to the seller’s needs and not the market. There may be room for negotiation.
7. Homes listed below $150,000 are selling quickly and for list price or higher. Investors are, in many cases, grabbing them, and they know the market so they are making appropriate offers.
8. As much as you love this home, be careful about falling in love until after the inspection. A surprise defect that is too costly for you or the seller to fix could prevent you from moving forward to buy the home. Be patient during the due diligence ( time period to complete inspections) once complete, then you can truly fall in love.
The eight steps above are just a few tips for your home search. Follow them and then invite us to your Super Bowl party next year. Maybe you will watch the home team winning, in your new home.
Checkout Metro Atlanta homes on my website TopAtlantaAgent.com