How to Choose a Home - Tips to Make Sure You Don't Settle By Paige Tepping
RISMEDIA, September 11, 2010--Finding the home that is right for you can be a time-consuming process. The experts at Move.com offer the following tips to help make sure you don't just settle for a home, but instead find the home that is perfect for you.
Once you've settled on a couple of neighborhoods where you would like to live, it's time to pick out a few homes to view. Your wish list can remind you which features are absolute requirements and which amenities you'd like to have if possible. When narrowing down your home search, consider:
-Types of homes
-Home purchase considerations
-Home comparison chart
-What to do when you've found the right home for you
-Home purchase considerations
Most buyers' first consideration, after neighborhoods are chosen, is the number of bedrooms. As you begin to view homes, keep the following purchase and resale considerations in mind:
-Weigh your needs, budget and personal tastes in deciding whether you want a home that's a newly constructed, an older home or a home that requires some work-a ‘fixer-upper.'
-One-bedroom condos are more difficult to resell than two-bedroom condos.
-Two-bedroom/one-bath single houses generally have less appeal than houses with three or more bedrooms, and therefore less appreciation potential.
-Homes with ‘curb appeal,' (a well-maintained, attractive and charming view-from-the-street appearance) are the easiest to resell.
-When resale is a possibility, don't buy the most expensive house on the street, or anything that is unusual or unique. The best investment potential is traditionally found in a less expensive, more moderately sized home on the street.
Home comparison chart
While house-hunting, it's a good idea to make notes about what you see because viewing several houses at a time can be confusing. Create a comparison chart before you begin looking at homes so you can keep track of your search, organize your thoughts and record your impressions.
When you've found the right home
Before you begin the home buying process, resolve to act promptly when you find the right house. Every Realtor has stories to tell about a couple who looked far and wide for their dream home, finally found it, and then revealed that "we always promised my Dad we'd sleep on it, so we'll make an offer tomorrow." Many times the story has a sad ending-someone else came in that evening with an offer that was accepted.
Resolve at this point that you will act decisively when you find the house that's clearly right for you. This is particularly important after a long search or if the house is newly listed and/or under-priced.
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Marilyn Wier ABR, CIPS, CLHMS, CRS, GRI, SRES
RE/MAX Space Center 1150 Clear Lake City Blvd., Suite 100
Houston,TX 77062
Mobile: 713-542-8451 Tel: 281-204-1015 Fax: 281-488-2264
Email: Marilyn@relo2houston.com
Web: www.Relo2Houston.com
"Serving Southeast Houston & Galveston County" "Selling Locally Marketing Globally"
