long the property has been on the market and even whether it was previously listed, withdrawn, and/or relisted for a lower price. Public records will give information such as original age of the home, mortgage history, name of owners, previous sales, property deeds, property taxes, judgments, or liens, etc. You can also find out whether permits were obtained for home improvements to see if everything done was up to code. Don’t neglect this search or this step in the home-search process, or you could end up regretting it. Some of this critical information is available online through research, but it’s best to go through your agent, who has access to much more real estate and property information than you could find on your own.
MAKING THE CHOICE
After you’ve followed the steps above, and you’ve double-checked with your agent that you have done so, it’s decision-making time! Are you going to put an offer on the house? Before you do, please keep the following in mind: • You might need to make concessions on some of your hopes for your home, since there’s no such thing as a perfect home. When all is said and done, go back to your list of needs and make sure they’re all met. If you’ve covered at least a few of your most important wants, then you’ve probably found the right home! • If you’ve found the right home, but it’s just a bit out of your price range — let’s say your agent negotiated well but the house still isn’t quite affordable — then consider going to your bank to see if they are willing to increase your mortgage slightly, but only if you can manage. Financial trouble down the road just isn’t worth it, especially when you’ve just had to handle a foreclosure or pre-foreclosure.
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