If you are a first time home buyer and you have started looking at houses online, you may think you're ready to put an offer on a property. There are some things that you want to talk with your real estate agent about and things you want to know before you decide on a property. Make sure that you do the following before you agree to a price or a deal for the house, and before you head to closing.
Get an Inspection
A lot of homeowners assume, because a house is newer, that it doesn't need a home inspection, and this is wrong. There several reasons why you want to get a home inspection, and some specific things you want the inspection to look for like:
These are just a few of the things that are important for your safety, and you want these things inspected so you don't end up with a huge bill for repairs after you buy the house.
Ask to Split Closing Costs
If your buyer isn't willing to pay for the closing costs or you are worried about the closing costs, ask the seller to split the costs with you. This is a way that they can get the house sold, and you can still save some money. You may even want to go up a little with your offer if you want them to help pay for closing costs, since the overall cost doesn't push your mortgage up much, but you have to bring cash for closing costs to the table when you finalize the sale.
Do Your Own Comparisons
Take the time to compare other properties that are listed at the same price as the house you want to buy, even if they aren't the house that you want. You want to make sure that the house you are interested in is worth the money, and that the value matches up to the asking price. Take the time to look at houses around it and compare the property values.
Being a first time home buyer can be confusing, so find a real estate agent that you can trust to help guide you, and make sure that you follow these above listed tips. This way you know what you are getting, and you know that you are getting what you pay for when you close on the house.
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