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6 COSTLY MISTAKES MADE BY HOME BUYERS

By
Industry Observer with Retired

6 Costly Mistakes Made by Home Buyers

1) Not getting pre-qualified for a loan before you search for a home.

Getting pre-qualified for a loan by a professional lender will let you know in advance how much mortgage you can afford. This allows you to make an offer on your home with confidence funding is available.

2) Not being honest with your Realtor or lender up front about your credit.

Your credit-- whether good, bad, or limited--affects everything from your down payment to interest rates. Your realtor or a professional mortgage consultant can often advise you as to how you can get credit problems cleared up or completely eliminated from your credit report before you apply for financing or make an offer on your home.

3) Not negotiating with the owner to provide a home warranty.

A home warranty can save you thousands of dollars in repairs, and often be obtained for as little as $500.00 for one year. A typical home warranty covers the electrical, plumbing and heating systems as well as major home appliances.

4) Not requesting a market analysis of the home, in comparison to similar homes in the neighborhood from your Realtor before you make an offer.

A home is not just a place to live-it's an investment in your future. View several homes before you make an offer so you know what's available on the market. Be certain you're making a wise investment by asking your Realtor to provide comparable sales of similar homes in the same neighborhood.

5) Not inspecting a home before you buy it.

Hire a professional to inspect every aspect of the home thoroughly. This can save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs and hundreds of headaches in the future. A thorough home inspection can also allow you to negotiate for any repairs prior to closing.

6) Not taking into account your present homeowner or renter status.

If you already own a home and must sell this home before you buy a new one, it's best to get a Realtor to do a complete market analysis on your present home. This allows you to know how much you can sell your current home for, before you make an offer on a new one. If you are leasing or renting, the lease's expiration date will give you a timetable for your new purchase.

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Team Swierczynski 

Gary Woltal
Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX
Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth
David, all the more reason because of your list that a buyer needs a buyers agent.
Nov 09, 2007 02:24 PM
Lee Parrish
Lee Parrish - Fort Myers, FL

David,

As a mortgage specialist I could not agree more with your post. NICE

Nov 25, 2007 02:09 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection
David - I do agree the items you  highlighted can certainly be costly if ignored.  I would hope the buyer's agent would make sure to discuss them.
Dec 06, 2007 04:33 PM
Lanre-"THE REAL ESTATE FARMER" Folayan
Samson Properties - Bowie, MD
I don't make promises.I deliver results.SOLD HOMES
Thanks for commenting on my post. Oh! Another costly mistake home buyers make is that they do not use a real estate agent. Some of them feel that by not using a real estate agent,they are saving money. We are the most important person involved in the home transaction. Great post.
Dec 10, 2007 02:43 PM
Greg Zaccagni
The Federal Savings Bank - Wheaton, IL
Illinois Mortgage Lender

David:

Great Advice.  It used to be that mortgage lenders would allow buyes to close just with evidence that their current home was listed.  Now they want to see the contract and defined closing date or they will hold the mortgage payment on their current home agains them when calculating debt to income ratios.  All the more reason to list 1st and find a buyer for their current home!

www.MortgageAdvisor.info

 

Jun 30, 2008 02:39 AM