Tips on Buying a New Home

Following is a guest post written by Lance Mohr, a Tampa, Florida REALTOR

Buying a new home is one of the most exciting feelings anyone can dream of. However, it is not as easy as you might think. Having a lot of money is not all that matters. There are other factors to look into when buying a new home. Even the most luxurious property has its own drawbacks because there’s no such thing as a “perfect home”. Nevertheless, through several years of real estate experience, we have come up with various tips to guide you in choosing the home that adequately fits your style, needs and financial resources, may it be brand new or pre-owned.

Come up with a clear description of your ideal home. This way you have a clear understanding before you and your Realtor walk into a builder’s or resale home. You may want a Spanish-inspired house with a touch of intricate contemporary architectural design, an industrial type inspired by minimalistic interiors or perhaps, you might want to settle in a country-type house with an idyllic sense of relaxed rural living. An ideal home equates to the idea of comfort, convenience and passion. For instance, if you love to cook, then you might want to pick a house that offers a spacious, well-lighted kitchen area.  If you want a child-friendly house, you might not opt for those houses filled with glass and non-railed stairs. Also, details as to how many rooms and bathrooms, how many floors, and how wide each area you would wish to have are some of the basic information that you must relay clearly to your real estate agent.

Determine the lot size and location. Every homeowner should have a full grasp of the actual size of his/her lot. Through this, you can decide on some changes that you might want to make in the future, such as plans on expanding the floor plan, adding up another garage, constructing a right-sized swimming pool or enhancing the landscape area of the house. The location is also a vital factor in choosing your future home. Is it close enough to your workplace? Is it accessible to various amenities in the town? If you or a family member has serious health issues, is it close to the nearest health center? Things like these should be thought of before you even start looking at homes.

Consider the costs that comes with owning a new home. A lot of people merely focus on the purchase price when choosing a home. They tend to neglect the possibility of having numerous utility costs or fees that the new or pre-owned home entails. Take into account the year it was built. Homes built in recent years are already more energy-efficient in contrast to those that were built in the 1990’s or earlier than that. The more energy-efficient, the less likely you pay hefty utility bills. Moreover, focus on the current status of the things within and around the house in terms of durability, such as the roof, water heater, cabinets, and more. This is something we should pay a lot of attention to because although the purchasing price may be quite affordable, we don’t want you to spend more money and time on repairing old house items and malfunctioned electronic devices which would surely cause a lot of stress largely on your part later on. Other fees that might be included are homeowner association dues and perhaps, a lot more, that might cost you enormously every year. So before writing a contract, determine all the possible fees involved.

Know the builder’s reputation. If buying a new home, we should not narrow our attention to inspecting merely the home. We should also take into consideration the builder’s character for the reason that they are solely responsible in making sure that you live in a house free from flaws of any sort. We can do this simply by asking the potential neighbors or other previous clients on what their opinion is regarding the builder’s performance. Ask questions such as: “Do you have any problems with your builder? If so, what are those?” and “Do they respond to your concerns and take action right away?”. Don’t be reluctant to ask these significant questions because after all, we don’t want you to suffer from negligence by your builder.

Hire a licensed Realtor. A lot of people who have plans of buying homes are so reluctant in hiring a Realtor because they don’t think a Realtor can provide any value and they simply do not trust some stranger who would handle this kind of money-involved situation. These people are, in fact, experts in this field. They have undergone series of thorough lectures and annual seminars, and they generally possess a vast professional experience.

It cannot be denied that most of us are trapped in hectic and for some, erratic work schedules that we can hardly have ample time to deal with our concerns in buying our desired homes. Apart from this reality, loads of paperwork and transactions are awaiting for you to handle if you don’t consider hiring a pro. Frankly speaking, we are so preoccupied with our individual lives that we don’t always have the luxury of time to handle these stressful things.

Also, we should accept the fact that we are absolutely not knowledgeable enough to take care all of these home buying intricacies. Real estate agents cater services that help you keep away from the hustle and bustle. They can offer you a list of homes that meet your criteria so you don’t have to spend more time searching. Connections are so important in the real estate world, and things can run smoothly through their impressive negotiation skills.

Also, they help in maintaining a harmonious business relationship with the builder or seller's agent and keeping them at bay whenever needs arise. It is already a known fact that hiring a real estate agent is essential to be taken seriously by the builder/seller. Most importantly, real estate agents are unquestionably familiar with the legalities involved. They see to it that you are always protected from any liabilities, whereas those who don’t have Realtors are prone to fall in legal pitfalls simply because of lack of knowledge and expertise. After all, we don’t want you to be sued in the future.

However, choosing one that you can rely on might not be that easy. “Don’t just pick any real estate agent. Pick someone who does business that knows what they’re doing, that understands how this game works.”, said by Lance Mohr, one of the top-performing real estate agents in Tampa, Florida.  The Judy Orr Team has more than 3 decades of experience.  Judy has won many awards.  Her most treasured are the prestigious customer service awards she has won over the years.

Searching for a new home is undeniably a time-consuming, stressful event in one’s life. But by following these guidelines, you will soon be at the doorstep of your dream house.  Call Judy at 480-877-1549 to help you find a Scottsdale home you'll love.  View more of Lance's new home videos by clicking the link.