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How To Buy A House - Part 1

By Leander McClain

Real Estate Agent

February 17, 2009 03:31 AM

How To Buy A House - Part 1

So now that the President has signed the Economic Stimulus bill and you as a first time home buyer are entitled to a $8,000 tax credit...what next?

Just find a house and buy it right?

WRONG!

There are many considerations and many more things to know when it comes to buying a house which you will make into your home. As a Realtor and Real Estate Consultant, it is my job to guide you through the entire process. I will always make sure that you understand the entire process and that you always know what comes next. I decided to share my knowledge with new home buyers via this multi-part series. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions that are not answered by the series.

The very first thing you should consider is LOCATION.

Let me say that again.

The very first thing you should consider is LOCATION.

One more time for those of you in the back.

The very first thing you should consider is LOCATION.

Your Realtor, your mother in law, you best friend, your BFF, the people at work.......none of these people will live in your new home. If you have a family, you will live there along with your family. The point is YOU must choose the location of your new home. As a Realtor, I am not allowed to "steer" you towards or away from any neighborhood. I cannot give you an opinion on the safety of a neighborhood or tell you how good the school system is. There are websites that will give you this information. I will gladly show you any home in any area you suggest. As the buyer, you MUST do your homework. I CAN however suggest some things that you may want to consider while you are searching for your new home.

Think about WHERE you want to live. Do you want to live in the city or the suburbs? Do you want to want to close to public transportation? Do you want to live near a major highway? Do you want to live near shopping? Do you want to live near your job?

Once you figure out where you want to live, take a look at a map. Yes a map. You will be able to easily identify city's that meet your first criteria (location). Now it's time to get in your car and drive. Get out and visit. Drive to the cities/neighborhoods that you are considering. Drive down the streets. Stop in the stores where you will shop. Talk to people. Trust me, you will know almost immediately if you fit in the neighborhood or not. Are there children in the neighborhood? Is that good or bad for you? Are the neighbors friendly? Is that good or bad? Do you feel safe in this neighborhood? Do you feel comfortable in this neighborhood? You will develop your own list of things to look for as you "interview" potential cities/neighborhoods.

You will notice that I haven't yet mentioned price or number of bedrooms and bathrooms. This is unimportant at this stage of the game. Remember, my number one job is Real Estate Consultant. As a consultant, I will assist and guide you t o the home of your dreams. If I sell you a three bedroom, 2.5 bath house in a neighborhood that you hate as soon as you move in, guess who gets the blame? That's right ME!.

Once YOU have identified several potential areas, your Mortgage Consultant will tell me the amount of mortgage you qualify for. At this point, I know some of you are saying "why don't I figure out how much mortgage I qualify for first"? I say why not dream. Most people will not choose to view houses in a $600,000 neighborhood when they can only afford $100,000. Why start out by limiting yourself. Who knows what we will find.

The final piece of advice I have about choosing your location is to VISIT, VISIT, and VISIT. Visit the neighborhood during the middle of the day. Visit in the morning when kids are going to school. Visit at night, visit on the weekend, visit when it is raining and visit on a holiday (if possible). Believe it or not, neighborhoods change depending on time of day and date. I have seen a neighborhood that is peaceful and quiet during the day turn into a noisy playground once the school buses arrive. I have also seen neighborhoods turn into flood plains with the smallest bit of rain. These things are important to know.

We will talk about other important factors in buying a house in later parts of the series. If you are not currently working with a Realtor and you are ready to purchase in Burlington or Camden County, NJ and can't wait for the rest of the series, text, email or call me right away. I will set an appointment to meet with you and give you the rest of my advice and assist you with your home search.

Have another great day and make This Your Best Year Ever

Your Friend In The Real Estate Business

Leander McClain, Cecil & Harford County. Realtor & Real Estate Consultant, Integrity Real Estate, 121 South Main Street, Northeast, MD 21901 443-406-6778 (direct)