Tips For Buying A Home

• Create A Top 10 List of Features:
  List the top ten features that are most important to you in deciding on which home to buy. Then only look at homes that meet at least 80% of your list.(Thats 8 out of 10)

• Be honest with yourself!
  It’s a good idea to try to make an honest appraisal of your financial and personal situation and look for homes that fit you the best.

• How much can I borrow?
  Before you start looking at homes, it’s a good idea to find out how much you can borrow and what deposit you’ll need. You can use my calculator, but remember this is only an estimate and you’ll need to have a full loan assessment done to work out the exact amount you can borrow, based on your income, your expenses and your current level of debt.

• Don't buy the first house you look at!
  It’s a good idea to look at as many homes as you can. This gives you the opportunity to compare different homes and amenities.

• Home Cost - what will it cost you to live there?
  Ask your agent if you can see the current owner’s electricity, gas and water bills for the past year, to get an idea of what it will cost to live in the home. You could find that the home is surprisingly energy efficient and economical to live in or that you may not be able to afford the bills in that area.

• Do your homework:
  There are some things that you usually don’t find out about a house and its location, until you live there. If you’re serious about a particular home, visit it at different times of the day and night, during the week and on the weekend.

• Neighbors can make all the difference:
  Know what the people in the neighborhood are like.

• Be realistic!
  Remember you’ll probably never find a home that is absolutely perfect for you in everyway. There’s always something that you would change if you could. Be able to compromise.

• Protect Yourself:
  Make sure that the contract you put on a house allows you to arrange financing, inspect the home and negotiate any problems that you uncover.

• Understand the Seller:
  Make sure to know why the seller is selling the home.

• Get an Inspection:
  It is crucial to have the home inspected. You want to know exactly what you are getting, and what kinds of repairs are needed.