| It's one of our biggest investments and some of us | | | | - Light and bright - Homes with lots of natural lighting |
| are doing it more than once during our life. | | | | are very popular. |
| Like many things in our life that have changed | | | | - Split bedroom plans, with bedrooms on each end of |
| dramatically, so did our habitation practices. Most of | | | | the home, are increasingly popular with buyers. |
| us don't stay in one house for the full duration of our | | | | - If you live in a scenic area, having a view can help |
| lives as it used to be for many people in previous | | | | you sell. |
| generations. | | | | - Plenty of bedrooms, baths and Rest rooms. |
| Our modern dynamic life style and economy, calls for | | | | - Large and convenient kitchen with as many |
| flexibility, mobility and frequent changes, People are | | | | cabinets and cooking space as possible. |
| following their jobs and careers even if it means | | | | - The tendency to work from home calls for a |
| moving from one side of the nation to the other. | | | | suitable room to be set as a home office. |
| This tendency is in line with our culture of consuming | | | | - Laundry and dryer machines located at the same |
| society. We replace everything faster, we treat | | | | level as the bad rooms. |
| cloths, cars (some just lease), refrigerators and our | | | | - A spacious basement is a plus. |
| dwellings like fashion items with short longevity. | | | | Features to avoid |
| When we decide to buy a house we need to think in | | | | - One-bath homes sell for significantly less than |
| terms of sort to medium range periods of time and | | | | homes with at least two baths and they take longer |
| that should bring us to consider the resale value of | | | | to sell. |
| our home in the future. | | | | - Electric baseboard heat and electric ceiling heat are |
| Buying a home with good resale value might take a | | | | not as desirable as central heating systems. A |
| little longer, and it might take a bit more work on | | | | fireplace in the living room is a plus. |
| your part, but you'll love the payback later, when it | | | | - Tubs and showers in outdated colors, or scratched |
| sells quickly and puts extra money in your bank | | | | from years of improper cleaning, might be hard to |
| account. | | | | change without ripping out doors or walls. |
| The first consideration should be your family needs | | | | - Popcorn ceilings date a house, you know, those |
| but it's cleaver to keep an open mind about what | | | | bumpy ceilings that were so popular in the 1970's. |
| might suite future buyers as well. | | | | Your first objective is to buy a home that's right for |
| The most important three factors are: location, | | | | you, but do consider its resale value before you |
| location and location... :-) Indeed, it's first thing to | | | | make the final decision, especially if you know you'll |
| consider when looking for a home. So, what makes a | | | | move again within three to five years. A careful |
| good location? | | | | purchase now will help give you extra funds to move |
| There are some general elements which are obvious | | | | up with the next time you buy a home. |
| like: | | | | Home Inspections |
| - Does the neighborhood have easy and fast access | | | | Depending on the type of financing you choose, |
| to the schools, shopping centers and country club. | | | | there should be either 2 or 3 separate inspections on |
| - It's wise to pick a house that is located relatively | | | | the home you want to purchase. |
| elevated above the area, that can provide two | | | | The first should be your own basic inspection (see |
| advantages: a flow of good air and a nicer view. | | | | the bottom of this page for what to look for), the |
| - How many neighbors are adjacent to you and/or | | | | second should be a professional whole-house |
| across you in proximity, off course the less the | | | | inspection by a reputable person. Should you select a |
| better. | | | | government loan (FHA or VA), the third inspection |
| - A house located at the end of the street will suffer | | | | should come at the time of the appraisal, which to |
| less noises from the neighbors and their guests. If | | | | some degree amounts to a "mini-inspection." Do not, |
| the street is a dead end it's even better. A corner | | | | however, rely on this appraisal as your only inspection |
| house may have more light and air. | | | | of the property! |
| - The positioning of the house towards the north if | | | | We cannot emphasize enough the value and |
| it's a warm area as opposed to the south in cold | | | | necessity of an extensive home inspection. Many |
| areas. In general, a rule of thumb and this one is | | | | home purchasers, either in the desire to save the |
| general and found right to many locations around the | | | | $200 to $500 that a good inspection costs, or due to |
| world, as strange as it may sound, the northern | | | | simple ignorance, have spent enormous sums of |
| neighborhoods are usually more desirable than the | | | | money repairing items that any good home inspector |
| southern ones exactly as the western ones are more | | | | would have pointed out. |
| prestigious than the eastern ones. | | | | Any offer to purchase you make should be |
| - The size of the lot, its shape and the square | | | | contingent upon (subject to) a whole house |
| footage of the house itself. If the majority of buyers | | | | inspection with a satisfactory report. Do not let |
| in your area are young families with children, consider | | | | anyone--not the agent, not your family or friends, |
| a house with a large yard that's not fronted by a | | | | and especially not the seller--dissuade you from |
| busy street. | | | | having the property thoroughly inspected! Not only |
| - There are many other environmental aspects to | | | | will you sleep much sounder after you have moved |
| consider with respect to personal preference like a | | | | into the house, a professional inspection can give you |
| green agricultural area vs. urban area, quality of | | | | an escape hatch from a contract on a defective |
| schools and other social services and facilities. | | | | house. |
| In addition to these external considerations there are | | | | If the contract is written contingent on an acceptable |
| many important internal elements that can make a | | | | inspection, any defects in the home must be either |
| house quality higher and buyers are always looking | | | | repaired or monetarily compensated for. If you are |
| for, such as: | | | | not satisfied, you have the option to cancel the |
| - Closets, lots of closets and with as much additional | | | | contract. |
| storage space as possible. | | | | |