everything is in order. Otherwise, you’ll end up wasting the seller’s time, the agent’s time, and your own time if you make an offer, enter into a contract, and only then learn that the bank won’t lend youwhat you need for a down payment andmortgage. Mistake #7: Not Conducting a Home Inspection Don’t make the mistake of relying on the seller to let you know that a home inspection has already been completed on their end and tell you what the home’s issues are. Some sellers are sneaky and don’t reveal some of the property’s problems, whether minor or major. Many buyers assume this means they don’t need to conduct their own professional home inspection, but ignoring your inspection is not recommended. Yes, it takes time, and yes, there’s a cost, but it could cost you a whole lot more if you skip this step. Before closing on the sale, you need to know for yourself everything about the property’s condition. This means that you need to hire a reputable and qualified inspector to conduct a professional home inspection. This inspection will reveal any structural or system-related issues, anything from structural integrity problems in the foundation, walls, or roofing, as well as any electrical, gas, and plumbing problems. Any sales agreement should be conditional on satisfactory results from this inspection. Mistake #8: Compromising on Your Needs Newbie home buyers often make the mistake of compromising on their needs, usually because the home-search process is taking too long, or they’ve fallen in love with a home that almost meets their criteria. Remember that list of needs and wants you carefully thought about, prepared, and wrote out back in Chapter 15? I mentioned that while you’re likely to
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