Anyone got any tips besides shop around? I have been shopping around and found a well priced fixer on the things I want to customize anyway... so the work really isn't a big deal. But this is my first time buying a house... Any tips for the noob?
Buying a house
- Thread starter Scout238
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I would also like to know what to look for or where to look at for problems? I'll be looking shortly.
Hire a good home inspector. Seriously.
First find the area you want to live in, then find a good real estate office and tell them what you are looking for. What part of Sacramento are you looking in? Once you find a home you like have it inspected very closely.
Good idea. It's easy to get caught up in the moment if you find something you really like and over look a ton of simple things that need to be fixed.
Looking in Elk Grove, where I live now. I grew up in Galt.
Start with a price range, get preapproved first, then find what location you desire depending on price. When you find a house you are interested in, do a comparative analysis on similar homes in that location due to size, features, age, etc and see how your property compares. I would do a search within the last 3-5 years on listings, sold houses and expired listings in that area/street. Any real estate company can do this for you, I work for Prudential Premiere in Wisconsin and this is what I usually tell first time home owners.
Also, check out the assessed value compared to asking price, there are some good deals out there right now where banks/owners are trying to move houses for way less than the assessed value.
I hope this gets you started, any questions, feel free to send me a private message.
Also, check out the assessed value compared to asking price, there are some good deals out there right now where banks/owners are trying to move houses for way less than the assessed value.
I hope this gets you started, any questions, feel free to send me a private message.
-Get a good home inspector, be sure to check all home utilities and make sure they are
in working condition.
-Talk to all surrounding neighbors. Be sure you do not live by any you would not get
along with on a neighborly basis.
-Be sure to get a fix rate home mortgage.
-Make sure the contract for the parcel of land matches the deed. (If it says 75' of
frontage and you only get 50' on the deed, then you were screwed)
in working condition.
-Talk to all surrounding neighbors. Be sure you do not live by any you would not get
along with on a neighborly basis.
-Be sure to get a fix rate home mortgage.
-Make sure the contract for the parcel of land matches the deed. (If it says 75' of
frontage and you only get 50' on the deed, then you were screwed)
the only thing I wish I had done better was closing, I let the people push off closing a month and the interest rates went up, you can only lock so much in advance... so I had to wait. It ended up costing me a good bit.
Other than that, the day of closing they are OUT of the house with all their crap, end of conversation. Dont let them have any time at the house after you sign the papers as you are liable.
Other than that, the day of closing they are OUT of the house with all their crap, end of conversation. Dont let them have any time at the house after you sign the papers as you are liable.
Thanks for the tips guys, keep them coming. and SCcobra, thank you, I may be PMing you further on down the line
I was about to ask this very same question and found this thread. Hope no one minds me breaking in. What are some good things to look for when looking for a real estate company? Are there pitfalls to watch out for that can easily snag first time buyers without any experience going through the process?
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Make sure your realtor understands your needs. When we were looking for a house to rent, we found a really nice one that specifically mentioned pets were allowed. After we'd applied for the house and were about to sign the paperwork, the owner mentioned he didn't allow cats, and just didn't understand why that would be a dealbreaker for us. The realtor, a cat owner herself, totally understood and was able to get our application fees etc back to apply to the next house.
Our current realtor, now that we're looking to buy, is a fellow car nut, and she understands our need for garage space and space to park a trailer etc. She's done a great job at digging up possible houses for us to look at.
Our current realtor, now that we're looking to buy, is a fellow car nut, and she understands our need for garage space and space to park a trailer etc. She's done a great job at digging up possible houses for us to look at.
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Look for houses that are being foreclosed....you can usually get them at a good price.
A friend of mine did that, but because it was foreclosure, contractors came in and took EVERYTHING!!! He basically had to re-do the entire house becasue it was stripped!
+1, we've looked at a few foreclosures and most of them have NO kitchen. No cabinets or anything. They also take light fixtures, ceiling fans, AC units, etc. The savings usually aren't worth the hassle, and you end up spending more to fix/replace what was STOLEN. :fm:
Buying a house is fairly simple, any realtor/real estate company with 25% competence should be able to fulfill your need. It really comes down to the individual, you could go to a well known company, get their #1 agent and he may be extremely busy where you are at the bottom of the list due to price range and other appointments on his list. I on the other hand like other agents, am parttime (nights and weekends) and like most others who work days, it's works out time wise where I have time at the drop of a hat to meet up with them, show them houses, etc.
But buying the house is really simple, you just tell the agent some guidelines to follow, he'll do a search in the community due to price, features, size, etc. and will give you a print out of available properties and you pick and choose. Or wait for others to show up, and play that game. If you request a 3 car garage and your agent wants to show you houses with a 2 car garage, get a new agent, he's just trying to sell and doesn't have your interest at hand. You should be able to set up showings within a day usually and may even get into a few properties at once or within a few hour time frame.
Hope this helps.
Also, if you like, send me a PM with city/state where you live and I'll check to see if we have an office by you. I'll set you up with an agent and everything.
Thanks for your help guys. I ended up finding a nice forclosed house in a good area for cheap. I am locked in at 5% on a 30 year fixed. My offer was accepted and hopefully it is smooth sailing from here on out. I am going to get a good home inspector and have the inspection done soon.
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