Are You Really Ready To Buy A Home?

The news is all good, interest rates are lower than ever. Housing prices are down. The first time home buyers $8,000 tax credit is a great incentive to purchase a home this year. What to do first?

• Find a reputable lender. Find out how much you are qualified for, make sure that you look at what your mortgage payment will be per month, include your real estate taxes in this computation. You want to know this first, before even looking at homes. I insist on this with my buyers. Looking at homes with a price range you think will work often leads to heartache.
• Ask about first time home buyer programs. There are many good programs available to you, make sure you investigate all the options.
• Find a reputable Realtor. Remember, you will be spending time with this person, looking to them for advice, putting your trust in them to assist you with the largest purchase you will make in a long time. This is not a car, this is your home!
• Be ready to make changes. You should have a wants and needs list. But be prepared to make adjustments in these lists as you visit more homes. Perhaps the homes in your price range will not have that extra half bath you thought you couldn't live without. Maybe the home will not have a granite countertop. Be flexible and realistic.
• Be honest with yourself. If you fall in love with the idea of a particular home, but for instance it will require too much work that you are not capable of doing or paying for, move on.
• Don't assume that all homes are overpriced. Putting in low ball offers can really become problematic. Let's say you find the home of your dreams, you really want this home and put in an offer. Because you have read somewhere that all homes are overpriced by at least 25% you base your offer on that premise. The seller does not have to sell, and never responds to you. You may anger them so much they may not look at any other offer you make as serious. Ask your Realtor to do a buyers market analysis for you. Trust your Realtor to do their job! A good Realtor will tell you if the house is priced correctly or not.
• If you want that bargain priced home, look at foreclosures. Even short sales have to be approved by the bank, and they are not so willing to let it go for the price it might fetch when it has been foreclosed on and left vacant for a year. This is a reality of todays market.
• Be patient. It could take time, especially in the lower price range.

This article was written by: Andrea Swiedler and posted on Active Rain

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