Are you considering purchasing a new home? Before you begin your next adventure of house hunting, add these few things to your checklist to make sure you purchase the best home for you!
Neighborhood
Choosing the right neighborhood for you is key. The average homeowner lives in their house for about eight years, so you want to make sure you enjoy the area! Ask yourself, do you prefer your neighbors to be cattle and crop land, or do you prefer human neighbors to be a little closer to you in town? How far would you like to drive to things like gas stations, grocery stores, work, or schools? If you have kids, or plan to have kids, what does the school system look like?
Know What You Can Afford
Knowing what you can afford will help you determine your price limit, so you can focus your search on houses within an acceptable range. Think about how much you would like to put down for a down payment, or how much you would like to use for remodels. Talk with a loan officer first about getting preapproved, loan terms, and interest rates. The market can be tough, so be prepared for any negotiations when putting an offer in on a house.
Fixer Upper or Move-In Ready
Knowing the style of home you want is something to think about when creating your house hunting checklist. Are you a handy person that would like a fixer upper, or are you looking for something that is more move-in ready? How many acres would you like? What size of house would you like? Is having a basement important to you? How many bedrooms and bathrooms would you like?
Once you find your perfect house, whether it is a fixer upper or move-in ready, make sure you do a home inspection before closing. A home inspection will help you know what you are getting into. Remember, not everything needs to fixed at closing, but the inspection gives you an idea of what there is to fix or update.
Looking at different houses can be intimidating. Before you jump in, make sure you create your house hunting checklist knowing what kind of neighborhood you want, how much you can afford, and what style you want.
GreenStone’s team of experienced experts are ready to finance your new home. Find our home mortgage loan options here.
