Buying a home can be an overwhelmingly intricate process that requires either experience or guidance along the way. Even for veteran homebuyers, aspects are overlooked or forgotten that can lead to hassles and spending unnecessary money on fees, fines or even repairs. Well, you’re in luck because we’ve compiled a brief “what to look for when buying a house” checklist to help you begin your home hunting journey.
These are some of the top things to consider and look for when beginning to look for a home in 2018.
Budget all expenses
Prior to beginning your search for your new home, it is a good idea to budget out all your monthly expenses. This will give you a good starting point to know exactly how much per month you can afford to spend on housing. A good rule of thumb from budgeting experts is that you should spend no more than 40% of your monthly income on debt payments (student debt, credit card, car loan, mortgage, etc.).
Get pre-approved for a mortgage
Knowing your monthly budget is important but the biggest roadblock that most home shoppers forget to do at the beginning of their journey is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. Knowing the price range of the homes that you are approved for can really help get your search started.
Learn about the neighborhood
Sure the house is the most important but the neighborhood it is located in is important as well. Understanding the demographics, HOA rules and fees and other crucial aspects can make or break a house decision before ever signing the papers.
Look beyond the paint
When you start looking at homes, it is very easy to get caught up in the décor and surface aesthetics of previous owners. Even the paint color of the home is hard to look past but you need to remember that all the superficial aspects of the home can easily be changed. Remind yourself that you need to look at the house itself, not how it is decorated.
Location
When it comes to real estate, there are three words that matter the most above everything else and they are location, location, location. The value of a home is determined largely by the location of the property that it is on. So, if you are looking for a certain type of home, remember that the price can vary greatly depending on where that home is located.
Long-term and re-sale
Too often first-time homebuyers make nearsighted decisions that come back to haunt them. Buying a home should be thought of as an investment because it will be the single biggest purchase of your life and if done correctly, money can be made in the long run.
While it is important to buy a home that fits your immediate needs but you should also take into consideration future wants like room for a family, school district and so on. Also, it is a good idea to take into consideration the recent growth and property values in the area to help ballpark the future value of the area.
Does it pass your inspection?
While you may not be a certified home inspector, you still can identify major problems that may be wrong with the house. Picking up on big, obvious components of the home and asking the right questions can save time and money before getting too far along in the process.
Use a trusted and experienced real estate agent
Working with an experienced real estate agent in Scottsdale Ranch, can help an invaluable amount throughout your home-buying process. Understanding the details and steps it takes to search for and buy a home is essential in making the process as painless as possible. There is no point in stumbling your way through the biggest purchase of your life without guidance and help. Knowing what to look for, where to look for it, and understanding the specific real estate markets are all things
For nearly two decades, I have been one of the top performing real estate agents in Phoenix, Arizona and the country. I understand the intricacies of the East Valley’s real estate market and strive to provide the most enjoyable and efficient home-buying process for the clients that I work with. My track record of success and satisfaction speaks for itself, so if you are looking to start your search today, visit https://homesellerarizona.com/area/phoenix-real-estate-agent/.
