A Guide To Buying A Home On Your Terms
Posted on: 28 October 2016
If you are in the market for a new house, you owe it to yourself to understand the process. The more you learn about buying a house, the better chance you will have to land the house that you have always wanted and also take some of the stress and uncertainty from the process. With this in the back of your head, you can start by following the three guidelines below and using them in order to make your home buying process as easy as possible.
Hire The Best Real Estate Agent That You Can Find
The house buying process will be largely affected by the real estate agent that you hire. You can find an agent by checking with your local realtors association. These associations will point you in the direction of agents who can sell you the property that you need. You should also make sure that they have high grades with the Better Business Bureau. Take the time to find the best agent possible, and don't worry about price. It is the seller who pays the agent, which usually boils down to a commission between 5% and 6% of the house cost. Sit down with agents for real estate in your area to get a good look at all of their listings so that you have peace of mind during your house hunt.
Get The House Inspected Before Buying
A perilous mistake that some home buyers make is to sign the paperwork without first getting an inspection. A home inspection costs between $300 and $500, but it will save you a world of trouble. When you purchase a home without getting the inspection first, you might end up buying a house with problems related to mold, poor roofing, bad utilities, or foundation issues. These are problems that can drastically reduce a home's value and which can be expensive to fix. Make sure the home is in tip top shape ahead of time by purchasing an inspection.
Negotiate As Much As You Can
Don't be afraid to tell the seller what you want, because if they are motivated to sell it, you'll have a lot of room to negotiate. For instance, some common things to negotiate include waiving closing costs, getting a free home inspection, or changing color schemes or fixtures prior to move-in. If you want to modernize the home before buying, you can request that they install eco-friendly appliances, which can save you a tremendous amount of money and reduce energy consumption.
Follow these tips and use them so that you get the most out of your home buying process.
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