Tips for Buying a Home for the First Time
- What home is going to work best for your family’s needs? If you have kids, or plan on having kids, you will need to consider how many bedrooms and bathrooms you need. Additionally, if you have family members with accessibility issues, should you avoid buying a home with stairs? Also, keep in mind how much work will be required to get the property up to your ‘standards.’ If the home needs new paint, windows, roofing, gutters, siding, doors, etc., is this something that will fit into your spending budget?
- What features will the home need to have? This is a significant purchase, so you want to be sure that your new home has everything you want and need. Consider what neighborhood you would like the home to be located in. Should it be close to the school? Does it need to be within a certain number of miles from where you work? How close do you want to be to restaurants or stores?
- How much are you realistically able to afford? Your dream home may not actually be within your price range. Think realistically about what your family will be able to afford. Remember, it’s not just the home you are buying, you also need to furnish your new living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, etc. If your income will change as your family grows, that needs to be considered.
- How can you choose the right realtor? Look around. There are likely numerous real estate agents who do business in your community, or in the community you are wanting to move to. This agent will need to be able to help you through the process of selecting the right home for your family’s needs, as well as with figuring out what your mortgage will need to be, and all of the other details that go along with purchasing a home.
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