труба 1220 | труба 1020 | 530 труба | 325 труба

First Time Home Buyer?
Four Professionals Who Can Keep
You From Making a Huge Mistake

home selling articles and tips

 

If you're a first time home buyer, it is easy to make a mistake when it comes to financing, insurance, and even the home itself. If you don't want to make a huge mistake when buying your first home, you need to consult a professional. With all the professionals advertising their services to first time home buyers, how do you choose the ones that will be most helpful? There are four people that you should always have on your team: a real estate agent, a home inspector, a mortgage broker and an insurance agent. Between these four, you should be able to easily avoid a potential home buying nightmare.

Real Estate Agents

A good real estate agent will be able to do much more than find you a dream home in the perfect location. You can ask your real estate agent to provide you with a list of recent home sales in your area so that you can compare those sale prices with the listing price of the home you are interested in. He or she can also make suggestions about what to offer for a home, and guide you through the negotiation process. Established agents will have a list of contacts for you, so that you can choose some of the best mortgage brokers, insurance agents and home inspectors. If you don't know much about real estate or the current home market, a real estate agent will steer you in the right direction and help you avoid any big money mistakes.

Home Inspectors

Home inspectors are absolutely vital to any real estate transaction. An inspector will go over a prospective home with a fine-tooth comb, searching for any and all issues that the average home buyer may not notice. There are many problems that can exist behind walls, underneath the home, and in the attic, that aren't visible to buyers during a simple walk-through. Before you make any decisions about a home, have your inspector look it over. He or she will be able to see any structural instabilities, pest problems, electrical issues and a variety of other hidden problems that could turn into future disasters.

Mortgage Brokers

A mortgage broker is invaluable to the home buying process. Unlike loan officers at banks, mortgage brokers have access to a wide range of mortgage products. In one stop, you will be able to find specialty loans for fixer homes, loans for people with less than perfect credit, and a whole range of fixed and adjustable rate mortgages. Instead of shopping around at a variety of banks to find the mortgage you need, let your mortgage broker do the legwork. An added bonus is that a good mortgage broker will walk you through every step of the process, from pre-approval to closing.

Insurance Agents

An insurance agent is another vital professional to add to your team. If you are interested in a home, show the listing to your agent. They will be able to tell you if the home is in a risky area, such as a flood plain or a neighborhood with a high crime rate. They should also be able to tell you if there are any problems with the home that could raise your rates or result in dropped coverage. Yes, an insurance agency can always answer your questions and give you general advice, but you might want to get the business card and contact information for a specific insurance agent so that they can take on your specific case and tend to your personal needs and questions.

There are many more professionals that can assist you with the purchase of your first home. You may need to call in contractors to do work estimates or even a pest control company. However, real estate agents and home inspectors are the most important. These people can help you avoid a serious mistake, especially if you aren't very educated when it comes to home buying. Buying a house is a huge ordeal, and it's easy to make a costly mistake if you've never done it before, so skip the mistakes and take some notes from the professionals in the beginning.

AUTHOR BIO: This article was written by Dixie Somers, a freelance writer who loves to write for business, finance, women’s interests, and the home niches. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters. Dixie got her information about home inspectors from the professionals of Pest Detective who specialize in pest control and offer extermination in North Vancouver.