Words of Wisdom for New Home Buyers

Buying a home is exciting and fun, yet is also serious business. Make a mistake here, and you will literally live with it for a long time! Some things to keep in mind when shopping are:

1) Make sure you feel truly comfortable when you walk through the home. Many people buy a home they don’t really like because it is in a prestigious area, or would show well to their friends. Even if a house is a mansion, if it doesn’t feel liveable to you, you will be unhappy. Too large of a bedroom can make some people lack the feeling of “coziness” that creates the homey feeling they enjoy. For others, if rooms are too small, they feel claustrophobic.

2) Be sure to have a professional other than just the termite inspector check out the home before you purchase to avoid any nasty surprises. I bought a home in Sunnyvale several years back that supposedly had a good inspection report, only to have part of the ceiling cave in while a family member took a shower upstairs due to an undetected leak.

3) Never buy a home that is obviously nicer than the neighborhood average at a much higher price. The cardinal rule in real estate is location, location, location…..

4) Check to see if the home has double paned windows, a newer heater and air conditioner, and good electrical wiring.

5) Make sure the surrounding neighborhood is on the upswing and not the downswing, as this could degrade future property values. Are people remodeling and improving their homes? This is a good sign.

Happy House Hunting!