Buying a home is a great investment, probably the most important financial decision you will ever make. You are nervously optimistic, have followed your real estate agent’s advice and are pre-approved for a home loan, narrowing down your housing options to your 2-3 favorites.
The price, location, and home improvements are nearly identical, making the decision to buy a home even more difficult. Does it go with the newly built property, the old house with character or perhaps the unpretentious house with the fantastic yard? Choosing is difficult, so the following tips are provided to help facilitate a faster decision.
1. Drive around the prospective neighborhood in the morning, early afternoon, and evening. Each time slot will give you a different perspective on how busy the area is, traffic congestion, and the noise level in the community.
2. Visit potential schools during school hours. There is no better way to see how a school works than to see organized chaos in action.
3. Drive to and from work through the property location during your normal business hours. A 10-mile trip can be a 40-minute trip, one way. Are you okay with a daily commute or do you consider car time a waste of time?
4. Stop and talk to the neighbors. But be careful … even well-intentioned neighbors can give the wrong signals, so apply your filters as needed. Listen carefully, but remember that their experiences may not be yours.
5. Check with your state sex offender registry and local sex offender site, if available. Protecting your children should be your top priority, so don’t leave anything to chance.
6. Visit http://www.SpotCrime.com or another online crime source to see activity in your future neighborhood. Finding out that there is a high level of crime in the area should be done before you move, not after.
7. Take a close look (r) at the surrounding area. Is there a highway, active railroad tracks, or other distraction nearby? Is distraction something you can live with or will it be a big problem?
You want your future love nest to be everything you imagine it to be, so take the time to do your homework, ask your real estate agent lots of questions, and always make it a point, at the very least, to follow the list above.
Above all, take a deep breath, stay positive throughout the transaction, and enjoy your home hunting experience.
