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Tips for Home Buyers

Remember that there is no such thing as a flawless house. Ed Stebbins, CRS, GRI, a broker with Assist-2-Sell/Stebbins Buyers & Sellers Realty in Groton, Conn., says that buyers should be counseled that there are likely to be "issues" with older homes, and that they should not expect the seller to address every cosmetic defect in the home.

Learn as much as you can about the neighborhood. "Knowledge is power," said Valerie Torelli, broker/owner of Torelli Realty in Costa Mesa, Calif. "A buyer should know the ins and outs of the neighborhood, and most importantly, what the comparable sales are within the area." Without such knowledge, a buyer will never know if he is getting a good deal on a house, Torelli says.

Visit our Links & Resources page for local government, school, and neighborhood information.

Have your mortgage lined up and approved prior to making an offer on a house. In a strong sellers' market, it's not enough these days to be merely pre-approved for a loan. By having a mortgage commitment in hand when an offer is made, a buyer might have a leg up over other bidders.

Take all decision-makers to view houses. In many markets, competition is fierce for available homes. Buyers may not have time to visit the house a second time with their parents to get a second opinion before submitting an offer. "Buyers can lose their dream home if they hesitate," says Betsy Nickel, a sales associate with RE/MAX Action Realty in Maple Glen, Pa. "They need to be clear about who is making the decision to purchase their new home."

Keep careful track of deadlines. Joan Hazelgrove, CRS, GRI, a sales associate with People's Choice Realty Services in Tampa, Fla., has seen practitioners on the other side of her deals miss deadlines. Recently, a practitioner representing a buyer asked to postpone an inspection. Hazelgrove reminded him that the inspection would not be done within the timeframe required by the contract, thereby putting his client in jeopardy. The other practitioner had no clue of the timeframe, she says.

Use our handy moving schedule so that you know what needs to be done when during the closing process.