Thursday, February 28, 2013

Avoid The Pitfalls Of Buying A Fixer Upper

By Julie Brown


Real estate is both exciting and stressful. You could make costly mistakes if you don't make educated decisions. The tips in the following article will help your purchase go more smoothly.

When you purchase any type of property, you need to have some extra funds set aside. Closing costs are generally calculated based on the down payment, interest rates the bank charges, and real estate taxes that have been pro-rated. The closing costs can often include extra charges like improvement bonds, school taxes, and other local charges.

Choose a real estate agent who has earned positive reviews when you decide that it is time to buy a home of your own. Certainly, you want one that is trustworthy. An agent that has achieved success in the past will be a great choice. It is in your best interest to take the time to look for someone you can rely on.

Don't start looking for a home before you're pre qualified. A giant reason is because you need to know if you will get the financing before you get your hopes up. Also, the process of getting a mortgage can drag out, so you might as well get started right away.

Get some information about the housing market in the area. Check websites including City-data.com to find out about foreclosed homes, median selling prices, housing backlogs and the average time on the market for homes in your Zip code. Other things you may want to investigate are local unemployment rates, income levels and schools. The truth is, if the house is nice and is in a good neighborhood, it can overcome some of neutral or negative traits of a community.

Ask your Realtor for a checklist. Many Realtors will have a checklist that will cover every aspect of buying a home; from finding the right house that is in your budget to finalizing the mortgage. This checkoff sheet will help you ascertain that nothing is overlooked.

Using a calculator on the web helps you determine what is affordable for you to spend. Online calculators ask for income, expenses and debt amounts before crunching those numbers. This helps you get a more realistic picture of how much you can afford so that you don't stretch yourself too far.

Be sure to check into your credit report and score before you make any attempts at looking to purchase a house. Look through your history carefully, if there's anything wrong then be sure to take note of it and take the necessary steps to correcting them. You want to make sure your credit is in good shape as you head into the home buying process; this will help you secure a mortgage.

Buying a piece of property should only be undertaken after conducting much research. If you do not research the property you are interested in purchasing, you may make a bad decision and purchase a piece of property that will cost you time and money. Therefore, before purchasing any property, you must ensure you find out information about the area that surrounds your property, the crime rate in the area, the property's age, and more.

Those who are wise and jump into this swirling market should follow the above article closely. It will help you avoid trouble and walk away with real estate that is under-priced and growing constantly in value. The key is to purchase the property and hold until the time is right before you make your big move.




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