Things First Time Home Buyers Don’t Consider
Buying a home for the first time? If so, there are a variety of things that first-time home buyers don’t consider because when it comes to buying your first home, the process can be sometimes overwhelming because there’s a lot to consider.
Thankfully, you can rest easy as a first-time home buyer by following the tips in this article:
Think long-term and think re-sale: Are you planning to have kids? Will you be taking care of elderly relatives? You might be planning to live in your first home for only a few years. In that case, who is your target audience when it comes time to sell the house? If you buy a house in a very bad school district or a house on a very busy street, when you are ready to sell the house, most families with children will be out of your list of potential buyers.
Make a list of items to check: Home-buying is an emotional process. Ideally, you should set aside all your emotions when evaluating a house. Practically, that is impossible. Instead, make a checklist of your must-haves, nice-to-haves and other essentials. Then print copies of this checklist. Every time you visit a house, take the checklist along with you; take photographs so you can cross each item off your list. If you fall in love with the house and your checklist shows that the house has none of your must-haves, it will at least make you pause and think.
Look at ALL the expenses when you are budgeting for the house: When budgeting for the house, don’t stop with principal, interest, taxes and insurance; add in utilities, cost of commuting and upgrades. Call the utility companies that service the house you are considering and ask for an estimate of what the cost will be, whether there are any budget plans available, etc. Will the gas budget for your car go up if you are moving further away from the places you frequently visit? Budget all of these expenses and see if you can still afford the house.
Search for Homes Here
To get started with searching for homes contact us today by calling (972) 523-1389 or click here to connect with us online.
About The Author
Heath Olinger
Growing up in Tarrant County and later moving to Dallas County, Heath is well versed in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. After graduating from Southwest Texas State University, and then receiving his MBA, he wasn’t fulling his passion of remodeling houses and finding the next person to call it home. After remodeling a few house on his own, he decided to take it to the next level and help others find their dream homes to accomplish their goal of calling it home. “I really want to be the Real Estate Professional that remembers the agony of waiting to hear back from buyers or sellers on a sale and ensure communication is fulfilled along the way, the waiting can be torture when you are excited for your next buy or sell”. Dedication, professionalism and the “can do attitude” are all the traits you will find in Heath.