REAL ESTATE TIPS When deciding to purchase your home - Do your research ....
Buenita Carter Lee Real Estate Tallahassee , Florida October 2015
REAL ESTATE TIPS When deciding to purchase your home - Do your research ....
BUYING SECRET # 1 : STALK THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Before you buy , get the lay of the land - drop by morning noon and night . Many homebuyers have become completely distraught because they thought they found the perfect home , only to find out the neighborhood wasn ' t for them . Drive by the house at all hours of the day to see what ' s happening in the neighborhood . Do your regular commute from the house to make sure it is something you can deal with on a daily basis . Find out how far it is to the nearest grocery store and other services . Even if you don ' t have kids , research the schools because it affects the value of your home in a very big way . If you buy a house in a good school district versus bad school district even in the same town , the value can be affected as much as 20 percent .
BUYING SECRET # 2 : THE SECRET SCIENCE OF BIDDING
Your opening bid should be based on two things : what you can afford ( because you don ' t want to outbid yourself ), and what you really believe the property is worth . Make your opening bid something that ' s fair and reasonable and isn ' t going to totally offend the seller . A lot of people think they should go lower the first time they make a bid . It all depends on what the market is doing at the time . You need to look at what other homes have gone for in that neighborhood and you want to get an average price per square foot . Sizing up a house on a price-per-square-foot basis is a great equalizer . Also , see if the neighbors have plans to put up a new addition or a basketball court or tennis court , something that might detract from the property ' s value down the road . Sellers respect a bid that is an oddball number and are more likely to take it more seriously . A nice round number sounds like every other bid out there . When you get more specific the sellers will think you ' ve given the offer careful thought . So always seek out a professional realtor to help you with those major steps of purchasing your home . See Mrs . Lee for your questions .
BUYING SECRET # 3 : GIVE YOUR HOUSE A PHYSICAL
Would you buy a car without checking under the hood ? Of course you wouldn ' t . Hire a home inspector . It ' ll cost about $ 200 but could end up saving you thousands . A home inspector ' s sole responsibility is to provide you with information so that you can make a decision as to whether or not to buy . It ' s really the only way to get an unbiased third-party opinion . If the inspector does find any issues with the home , you can use it as a bargaining tool for lowering the price of the home . It ' s better to spend the money up front on an inspector than to find out later you have to spend a fortune for unforeseen repairs .
BUYING SECRET # 4 : YOU ' RE BUYING A
HOUSE - NOT DATING IT
Buying a house based on emotions is just going to break your heart . If you fall in love with something , you might end up making some pretty bad financial decisions . There ' s a big difference between your emotions and your instincts . Going with your instincts means that you recognize that you ' re getting a great house for a good value . Going with your emotions is being obsessed with the paint color or the backyard . It ' s an investment , so stay calm and be wise .