Buying Tips

Buying a home or property, especially for the first time, can be scary as well as time consuming. After all, you are investing in most likely the most valuable possession you will ever have. But with proper planning, it can be a smooth process.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Figure out what you want

Are you hoping to live in a 3-bedroom townhouse or a house or maybe an apartment ? Figure out if you want to find your forever home or if this purchase is an investment or stepping stone toward a future purchase. Create a checklist of the “must haves” you are looking for in your property and as well the things you would like, but could do without.

Get your financing in order

Before you can really start hunting for property, you need to know what you can afford. Check with a bank for a loan consultation or make use of our alliance Network Community Mortgage Consultant to see what your options are. This will help you know what kind of cash you need upfront for the down payment. It is also a good idea to not make any large purchases for six months before buying your home as they could reflect poorly on your credit score. Don’t open any new credit cards or run up the cards you have either.

Find a real estate agent

Getting to know your CASA Sales Agent will help you along the way. Your agent will be on the alert for new properties coming up in your price range that may work for you.

Take the emotion out of it

If you only look at or purchase properties you are in love with, you may get your heart broken or make a poor financial decision. Understand what you can actually get for your budget and look for issues with houses that seem perfect. Following your instinct is not the same as following your emotions. Instinct is having the foundation checked; emotion is wanting the house because of the topiary in the backyard.

Inspections

Have the property inspected before considering putting in an offer on it to make light of any minor or major issues with the house. There may be major repairs that have to be completed before you could even get a loan on it. Or you may have grounds for price negotiation if there are repairs than need to be made. Then you are ready to make an offer.

Bidding

Your initial offer on the house should be based on two factors: can you afford it and what the property is actually worth. You don’t need to start your bidding off unfairly low. But check out the neighborhood for any future projects that may reduce the price of your house in the future.