solution. Luckily, the seller’s real estate agent referred her to another lender and helped her obtain a loan (although at a higher interest rate) much more quickly. It turned out the first lender was a scammer. In another case, Ron and Jenna planned to upgrade to a new home. After a long search, they found it — or so they thought. The house seemed perfect, with a bright and colorful kitchen, an open living and dining area, three bathrooms, high ceilings, a fireplace, and a covered porch. They were especially thrilled that the price was only $535,000. That was a steal. They signed the contract and were in the house more than a month later. Less than six months later, the horror story began to unfold. Jenna was cleaning one of the bathrooms when she noticed tiny ants with wings. Following Ron’s advice, she called the exterminator. When he arrived, he delivered the first blow — these winged ants were termites . The exterminator went under the house to assess the damage. He found that not only was the floor under the bathroom completely infested, but also the other two bathrooms, and the infestation was spreading to more of the house. The total cost of repairing this problem was over $12,000. That’s an unbelievable amount of money to unexpectedly invest in a house you’ve only lived in for less than six months. The key lesson here is to know the house you’re buying. You should always hire an exterminator to investigate the house, particularly for termites. If you make such a massive investment in a new home, the small price of precaution is worth it. The stories continue endlessly. I recently met a lady at a café with an incredible story of a first-time buyer. I overheard her conversation, so I decided to step in and ask about it. Sue and her fiancé were searching for their first home with the intention of buying one before their wedding. They had been told about a great real estate agent in the city where they wanted to make
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