Debbie Lamberger's blog

12 Steps to Buying a Home

Buying Step #1: Determine Your Budget 

10 things to know if you are buying your first home:

The real estate agent has already helped you to prepare the best offer. It contains the list of contingencies (for example, that seller fully disclosed any problems with the house, points on the results and actions after the inspections, etc.) and it is finally accepted.

#1. Failing to Budget for a Home Loan

Home ownership is a cheaper alternative to renting in the long run. But in the beginning, it can be much pricier. This is especially true if you intend to get a loan to purchase your dream house.

If you do acquire a loan, remember that you will be making monthly mortgage payments for a number of years.

Imagine what your dream house looks like. You have particular needs, and you can’t imagine not having them fulfilled. But there are going to be some desires that you will have to let go due to affordability issues.

There is a bundle of things that are to be considered before buying a home.

Would you like to have a swimming pool?

Where is the house located?

What makes it special?

The short answer would be "Yes, they can", but do not count on it too much.

The role of the home inspection is to protect the buyer from inheriting major issues along with his purchase. Home appraisal, on the other hand, makes sure that a lender does not pay more than he has to.

You’ve heard it said before and we’ll say it again, kitchens sell houses. Especially with the rise of eat-in kitchens and breakfast nooks tucked in an out of the way corner, the kitchen is a place where your family is likely to spend a considerable amount of time together.

We’ve spent some time so far talking about the pros and cons of remodeling, who to talk to make sure you make intelligent decisions about where to direct your time, money, and energy. Now we get to move onto discussing not just which project you should do but what materials you should consider to make sure you are getting the biggest possible return on your project. 

Flooring

Whether it is to relocate for work, upsize so you have more room for the kids, or downsize because the kids are gone, selling a home is one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through. And that stress goes up the longer the process goes on.

If you have decided to put your home for sale on the market, you will have to consider all types of buyers; those who love pets and those who don’t. There can be many reasons behind that thinking so there is no need to be judgmental.

When you’re looking to sell your home quickly and as painless as possible, you’ll have to go through a process of removing your (or your tenants’) presence from the house. This process is known in the real estate industry as neutralization.