|
Agents
& Brokers
California,
Ohio, Colorado
|
| |
Apartments
& Rentals
Vacation
Rental, By
States, Tenant
Screening |
| |
Appraisal
Service
California,
Florida, Texas
|
| |
B2B Real Estate
Investment,
Office Space, Development |
| |
Career
& Training
Seminars & Coaches,
Schools & Instruction
|
| |
Directories
Web Directories, Mover
Directory, Agent Directories
|
| |
Finance
& Mortgages
Residential
Lenders by States, Commercial
Lenders by States, 1031
Exchange |
| |
For
Sale By Owner
FSBO
Kits |
| |
Foreclosures
Auctions, Foreclosure
Service Providers, Foreclosure
Consultants |
| |
Home
& Garden
Home
Decorating, Gardening, Cleaning
Service |
| |
Home
Builders
Builders
by State, Architectures,
Contractors by State
Sponsored by:
|
|
| Home Buying Expert
Corner |
Home Buying 101: House Hunting in 5 Easy Steps
Commentary
Brandon Cornett is one of our more popular contributors to
Educated Home Buyer. He has provided a series of articles for home
buyers who would like to know more about the home buying process.
Please be sure to check out his website for more great home buying
tips.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------The
home buying process can be exciting and overwhelming at the
same time. After all, it's one of the biggest financial decisions
you'll ever make. So before you begin looking for a home, make sure
you have a plan in place.
Here are some more tips to help you get the most out of your house
hunting experience.
Take pictures of the home, inside and out.
When shopping for a home, bring your digital camera along. Or borrow
one from a friend. Take pictures of all the houses you visit, and
then group the pictures by house address for easy viewing later. This
will help you remember the details of each house afterward. Then you
can more easily decide which houses you'd like to follow-up on or
revisit.
Bring a friend of family member along.
Buying a home can stir up a lot of different emotions, and that's
perfectly normal. But emotion can sometimes overpower logic -- not
something you want when making a financial decision.
You can counter this by bringing a friend or family member along on
your house hunt. By bringing someone who's not so emotionally attached
to the process, you'll have an objective ally to help you identify
the pros and cons of each house.
This person can also help you recall details about a house after each
visit. And chances are, they'll be able to point out aspects of a
home you might not have noticed otherwise.
Compare the house to your budget.
Ever heard the expression "house poor"? This is what happens
when people take on more of a mortgage than they can comfortably afford.
Ask yourself this question. If you have to work longer hours and scrimp
and save just to afford a house, is it really worth it?
While house hunting, you'll inevitably come across one or two houses
that really knock your socks off, but would also knock a hole in your
budget. But you have to keep your finances in mind, no matter how
gorgeous a house might be.
Consider the commute.
Here's another area where it pays to be objective. If you find a house
you like, and it's within your price range, the next thing to consider
is the location. Is the house near or far from work? Does it have
access to the highways you need? How long will your commute be each
day?
It's easy to fall in love with a house and dismiss the drive time.
But if you commute every day, drive time matters! Try driving to or
from the house during rush hour to get a realistic picture of what
you'll face every day.
Avoid spur-of-the-moment decisions.
Buying a home will probably be the biggest financial decision of your
life. So it requires careful consideration. Know what you're looking
for and how much you can afford. Remember to be objective. Then get
out there and hunt!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the author - Brandon Cornett
Brandon Cornett is the editor of HomeBuyingInstitute.com, one of the
Internet's largest and most respected libraries of home buying information
- more than 100 expert articles in 12 different home buying categories!
Put this knowledge to use by visiting http://www.HomeBuyingInstitute.com. |
|
|
| |
Information
Real Estate Commission,
Guides and Tips, Selling
a Home |
| |
Inspection
Service
By State,
Education & Training,
Franchises |
| |
Insurance
Title Insurance, Mortgage
Insurance, Home Warranty
|
| |
Mover
& Relocation
By
State, Storage, Auto
Transport |
| |
Property
Listings
MLS
and Realty Realtor Resources by State, New
Home By State, Property
Listings by State |
| |
Property
Management
Consultant,
Associations |
| |
Real
Estate Legal
Real
Estate Attorney by States, Notaries
by States, Escrow &
Title |
| |
Softwares
Property Management,
Construction & Builders,
Investment Analysis |
| |
Support Services
Office Supplies,
Web Services, Media
& Advertising |
CondoCompany.com - The online marketplace
for Condos and condominiums.
Find or list condos now! |
|
