Advice for First Time Home Buyers

Jul. 24, 2015 | Written by: Lori

I’ve been renting for a few years but lately I’ve been doing some research on buying a home. Being a first time home buyer is exciting but also a little intimidating. The agents at ChangingStreets.com have given me a few things to keep in mind as I begin my home buying journey:

If your agent has shown you a house that you really like but you need to take another look, take another look. You don’t want to harass the seller but if you are seriously considering making an offer on a home, you want to be sure it’s right for you. You will be living in it after all.

Take a good look at the neighborhood you will be living in. Is there a sense of community, or is it every man for himself? Do your neighbors keep their houses well maintained? If you have an opportunity, speak to the neighbors and ask good questions. They will give you a better feel of the neighborhood.

After your offer is accepted, get a good inspection done on the house.  If problems arise during the inspection, you may be able to renegotiate with the sellers. If the sellers won’t budge and you’re not willing to walk away from your dream home, make sure you have enough money left over after closing to make any needed repairs. If you don’t have extra money, you may have to walk away from the deal.

Don’t make any major purchases before you close on your house. Any big changes to your income vs. debt ratio may negatively affect your credit and the loan you thought you had you may no longer qualify for.

Don’t let the closing expenses surprise you. Your agent should go over, line by line, what the costs will be and how much you’ll need to bring to the table. One of the many great things about ChangingStreets.com is that there are no extra administrative fees that you may see with other brokerages. These fees may show up at closing as a processing fee, document prep fee, or transaction fee. You’ll have many costs at closing but at ChangingStreets.com, these types of fees won’t be included.

Let the agents at ChangingStreets.com help you navigate through the home buying or selling process. Their expertise will put you at ease and make the whole process a lot less stressful. 

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