10 Things Houston First Time Home Buyers Should Include On Their House Hunting Checklist
Hello again and welcome! You are getting ready to be fully engaged in the home buying process and is about to begin the house hunting portion.
Before you begin to search for homes online or walk into your first home, below you will find a few suggestions that will help to prevent distractions and keep you on track and on budget.
Also, there will always be things that are nice to have, versus those things that you must have. You want to make sure that you focus on the must have first. Let’s begin:
Have your Real Estate agent with you as you view homes. It is however, very important that you work with an agent that will look out for your best interest and not his or hers.
Your pre-approval letter is very important as it lets’ you know your price point.
View homes that are within your price point, otherwise you may be tempted to blow your budget.
Are you interested in doing a little or lot of work before or after you move into your new home. Knowing this will help you to view only certain homes.
What are you must haves, versus your nice to have, e.g. number of bedrooms, bathrooms, home size, age of home, school district, neighborhood, price range, area, one or two story, smart home, pot filler, new or existing home, fence, yard size, study, game room, theater room, appliances, and security system?
Commuting time. What is your desired drive time from home to work?
Neighborhood check. I always advice my home buyers to check the neighborhood in the mornings, afternoons, nights and weekends. Check crime statistics and neighborhood watch reports. Stop and talk to neighbors. You want to know as much as you can about your new neighborhood before you make your decision.
Understand that homes may look completely different in person than they do online.
Ask you Realtor about home warranty.
And finally, do not put un-necessary pressure on yourself or allow anyone to pressure you into buying a home that is not in the best financial interest of you and your family.
One way to upend things is by seeking too much advice from family, friends and co-workers. Buying a home can be a very excited time. You try not to, but you may end up sharing your great news with everyone, who in turn will want to offer their advice.
However, while this intention maybe good, it can be overwhelming and lead to confusion. We at First Home Houston want you to enjoy your home buying process. We hope you find this information helpful. Happy house hunting and see you at the closing table.
As always, thank you so much for stopping by. Until next time… Diana.
Image taken by Diana
