ENJOY YOUR NEW HOME!

If you are buying a home, there are a few pitfalls you want to avoid.

 First of all, do not rush into buying a house. A house is a big responsibility. Make sure you are ready for it. Once you have signed that contract, there is rarely a chance to get out of it.

Don’t spend too much on you house. You don’t want to be “house poor” and not have enough money to enjoy anything else in your life. Remember if you buy a huge house, you have to furnish that huge house. If your buy in a really upscale neighborhood, you have to “keep up with the Jones’s” so to speak. You have to keep the lawn manicured, which may require a gardener, and the house clean and beautiful, which may require a housekeeper.

Make sure you get mortgage preapproval before you start looking at homes. You know exactly how much money you can allow for your new home.

Don’t think you can go to settlement without a lawyer in today’s market. People have been known to represent themselves and things have gone smoothly, but today every one needs a good attorney to represent them. It is well worth the money, so you won’t have the hassle.

You must realize that very rarely does anyone find that “perfect house”. I know we start out with our lists of what we want in our new home, but surprising enough most of us settle for less. If it doesn’t have the beautiful appliances or tile in the kitchen, but everything else is good, maybe you should go for it anyway. You can always get your appliances and tile changed in the future.

You must have the house inspected by someone that you choose. You don’t want the seller to hire the inspector (for obvious reasons). Don’t forget to ask questions about repairs that the house may need. If the sellers willingly do not tell you about something that needs repair, you then have legal recourse.

Last, but not least, you need house insurance. The amount should be for at least the value of the house and all the belongings in it. Many different plans cover many different things, so choose carefully.