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Cabo San Lucas |
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Mazatlan |
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Tips for first-time home shoppers
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By Melissa Wirkus
Buying a home, especially if it is your first one can
be an extremely overwhelming process for most. And in
a buyer’s market (like the one we are in now), with
literally thousands of homes to choose from, it may be
confusing to just even begin the home-hunting process.
All home buying
transactions start with shopping around, and getting a
feel for the area you are looking to buy in as well as
an idea of the type of home you think best suits you and
your lifestyle.
If you have realistic expectations of what is going to
happen during the home shopping time as well as the home
buying transaction as well, you will be able to get
through the process stress-free.
Elizabeth Weintraub gives some good advice to first-time
buyers in the article, “Before You Buy Your First
Home - Tips for First-time Home Buyers,” featured
on the website About.com.
“It's not uncommon for a first-time home buyer to
say to me, ‘Gosh, just last week I called you about
buying a home and now I'm in escrow! How did this
happen so fast?’ The answer is it didn't. First-time
home buyers start the search long before most even realize
it.”
Once a potential
homebuyer has made the realization that buying a home
is the next logical step in their life, it will be time
to start the house-hunt! As long as the person is ready
for the financial commitment, they can proceed to the
next step, which is looking for a suitable house.
“Almost 80% of all home searches today begin on
the Internet. With just a few clicks of the mouse, home
buyers can search through hundreds of online listings,
view virtual tours, and sort through dozens of photographs
and aerial shots of neighborhoods and homes. You've probably
defined your goals and have a pretty good idea of the
type of home and neighborhood you want. By the time you
reach your real
estate agent's office, you are halfway to home ownership.”
Since there are so many homes available to look at in
today’s marketplace, it is very helpful to have
a fairly good idea of the type and style of home you want,
so your agent can narrow down the glut of homes for you
so you are not looking at homes you know do not fit your
needs.
When the time comes when you are ready to tour prospective
homes with your agent, there are a few things that will
make the process a lot easier.
“Bring
a digital camera and begin each series of photos with
a close-up of the house number to identify where each
group of home photos start and end. Take copious notes
of unusual features, colors and design elements. Pay attention
to the home's surroundings. What is next door? Do 2-story
homes tower over your single story? Do you like the location?
Is it near a park or a power plant? Immediately after
leaving, rate each home on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10
being the highest.”
All of these things will help you to remember the things
you liked or didn’t like about a home, so you can
start narrowing down your choices to your favorites! |
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