How to Shop for Houses?
There are several ways to shop for the house that's right for your family. Houses are sold chiefly through real estate advertising and real estate brokers. Sometimes they can be purchased directly from the owners. Read the advertisements in real estate sections of local newspapers. Tell your friends and neighbors that you are house-hunting. Then take your time in shopping the market. Don't quit until you have a clear idea of the cost and quality of homes currently offered for sale.
Take a Sunday afternoon drive or walk through neighborhoods you find attractive. You may locate houses that are offered for sale and model homes on display.
Don't trust information to memory when you find an appealing house; keep a record listing the asking price, owner's name, location, number of bedrooms, taxes, heating bills and any special features. An inexpensive notebook is all you need to avoid ending your search with a blurred impression of houses and neighborhoods you've seen.
Many homebuyers ask, ''Should I use the services of a real estate broker?"
In most situations, using a real estate broker may give you some advantages. A dependable real estate broker offers a clearing center for many marketable properties, and the screening process may save you plenty of wild goose chases. Those listing services offered by the broker will offer a better knowledge of price ranges and housing areas.
A good broker will give you general information about a community and specific information about schools, churches and stores. He may be able to help you get financing and may know how to eliminate much red tape.
The broker's commission is usually 6 to 7 percent of the sale price but may range up to 10 percent.
The commission is paid by the party or parties who engage the broker, usually the seller of the house.
To find a good real estate broker, ask your friends or call the mortgage officers of local banks and savings and loan associations. Notice which brokers run the most newspaper advertisements for houses in the particular neighborhoods you prefer. Often brokers will specialize in a particular neighborhood.
One bit of cautious advice: Do not rely too heavily on verbal promises or agreements. Remember, the broker is usually working principally for a seller, not a buyer. Statistics show that two out of every three buyers select a used house. About a third of persons who buy a new house, buy one that's already built instead of to build their own house. It is a decision all home buyers need to make for themselves.
One of the biggest advantages that an older house typically offers is more space for the money. The lot may have been planted with trees and shrubs by previous owners and therefore presents relatively few landscaping problems. Taxes are usually stable in an established neighborhood.
Many older homes have ample bedroom space, and this is an important factor in choosing a house. Observe how the floor space has been used by the builder. Most buyers will prefer a house containing fewer rooms that are spacious and livable to a house with a larger number of small rooms.
When looking for your home, you shouldn't forget to weigh any possibilities of shorter distances and commuting times to your offices, schools, and any frequent destinations.
Future road construction also could affect the value of a home, so you may wish to check plans for construction with local authorities. Before purchasing a house in an older neighborhood, be sure that you check on any future plans for neighborhood improvements, urban renewal or land appropriation for new highways or other projects.
If you choose a home in the city, you'll enjoy close proximity to shopping areas and convenient transportation, but you may want to check on noise levels. Life in a quiet suburb offers lots of room in peaceful surroundings, but there may be limited transportation to shopping areas and schools. Take time to weigh all the possibilities before you reach a decision to purchase a home in a particular location.
Once you've found a house you like, evaluate it carefully. You are buying the property "as is," and you must not only live with your mistakes, you must also live in them.
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