Money Saving Tips for Homebuyers
June 12, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under real-estate
Home buying is a total headache – or so I hear. I’ve actually never bought a house BUT I did build a house which maybe was more of a headache to be honest and involved a lot of the same issues – buying land, choosing house plans, etc. Plus, I’ve had plenty of pals go through the home buying process. It’s such a hassle and money issues are of course a major concern. Here are some pre-buying tips that should save you some $.
NO house is perfect: Repeat this mantra like the waves on the ocean. There will never ever be a perfect house. Make a list of wants, needs, and bling wishes. If you find a home that meets at least most of the needs, some of the wants, and maybe one bling choice (i.e. you HAVE to have a tree in the front yard), is a good house. Settling for most of what you want is a good bet when buying a house. Waiting and waiting can cost you time and money.
Research neighborhoods first: Before looking for the house, look for an area. Find out as much as you can about the people in the neighborhood, the schools, and the other issues (shops, events, etc). Also if you think you’ll stay for a long while think ahead to make sure the home fits future needs, for example, is there a good middle school nearby?
Make a moving time line: Plan out the move / buy / market timeline. Know when your lease is up at your current place so you don’t end up finding a house way before you can actually move. Is the market in your area getting tighter or better?
For tons more money saving tips related to home buying visit the consumer info page at the Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors (I know it’s a specific hometown, but the articles are actually nationally helpful).
[image via stock.xchng]
There are some good tips at http://frugalpennypincher.blogspot.com/ too.