Buying Your First Home ~ Part Seven

At RE/MAX Lakes Area Realty, we are in the business of making dreams come true, and for a lot of people, making a dream come true involves buying your first home. In order to help you with that decision, we came up with this series of articles…useful tips that will help you be prepared when buying your first home. Tip 7 is the last article in this series…thanks for reading, and be sure to subscribe to our blog. More great tips on how to navigate the real estate waters will be coming soon.

Tip 7: Avoid Regrets - Get a Home Inspection

The home buying process is a lengthy one, and many buyers rush through or even forgo the home inspection. It's important that you don't make the same mistake! Professional home inspections can save you time and money, or even prevent you from making a disastrous deal. In case you're not convinced, we’ve compiled a quick list of some serious home defects that can be found during a home inspection:

Defect #1: Bad Foundation…unless you can negotiate a price reduction to cover cost, walk away.
 
Defect #2: Worn Roof…most likely it will need to be replaced. If the seller will not do so, negotiate a lower price.
 
Defect #3: Termite/Carpenter Ant Infestation…the house could be in need of expensive structural repairs. Unless the seller is willing to help pay, it's probably not a good investment.
 
Defect #4: Outdated Wiring…this can be expensive to correct, and is a dangerous problem. Negotiate with the seller after getting an estimate from an electrician.
 
Defect #5: Damaged Shower Pan…get an estimate from a contractor if you find water under the shower, and negotiate with the seller to cover costs.

Protecting your investment, especially one as special as a new home, is crucial. An expert home inspection is often the most important step in securing that protection. More tips on home buying are available on our website at www.lakesrealty.com If you'd like to talk more about home inspections or any of your real estate questions, please give us a call at 218-963-9554 or email us at remaxnsw@uslink.net We'd love to hear from you.