"Follow you heart" is something you shouldn't apply to finding the perfect home for yourself. While it is important to be comfortable in your new home, many people find that once idyllic homes can become sources of stress and frustration. There are many ways that buying a new home can go wrong, thankfully, there are ways to minimize your chances. Many may seem common sense but it is important to remember that these problems are common and occur every day.
1) Hire a professional and experienced realtor. Houses and landowning re complicated subjects and it is a realtors job to help you make the right decisions. First time home buyers should always hire a Realtor as experienced as possible to make up for their own lack of experience. Even experienced home buyers should avoid attending an open house without an agent as the selling agent does not work for you but is employed to help the home sell for as much as possible.
2) Don't buy what you cannot afford. Even if you stumble upon the perfect home to live in, high mortgage payments can turn living there into a frustration. Talk to and listen to a Mortgage Broker. You should determine your price range based on income, debt, family needs and what you can borrow. Buyers should also realize their lender will do an appraisal and if the
lender finds you paid more than the house is worth, they may not
give you the full amount of the loan you expected. As with anything involving substantial money, it should be handled with caution.
3) Have the home inspected professionally. A home is a complicated and in some ways fragile thing, many home owners find themselves with a set of unpleasant surprises after closing. Anything from crooked walls and floors to mold behind drywall. There is always something wrong with a home, even if only minor and a fixer upper can quickly become and endless money drain. You should always check the references of your home inspector, especially any older home they have worked on.
4) Research the neighborhood. There can be huge differences in neighborhoods just blocks apart and a small move can leave you in an area that feels like another country. Always check for crime with official sources like police or other specialized websites. Just a stroll down the street and a talk with the neighbors can save you years of headache. Remember to research things like parks, schools and nearby public facilities.