Help requested

[wordwitch]

You've done it, now help me do it.

I need to know what useful things you know about looking for and purchasing a house.

ETA: Thanks for all the helpful commentary. This is my first time as a home-buyer, this late in my life, and the whole thing has always frightened me.

Comments

[etumukutenyak.livejournal.com]

Looking for a house? Get a real estate agent you are comfortable with and who listens to you. Each time you go through a house, explain what you liked and what you didn't; a great agent will listen and narrow down the selection based on your feedback.

Decide ahead of time what you think you need in a house. Agree on what is negotiable and what is not. If you don't see all of the items you agreed on, then move on to the next house.

Get your mortgage rate ahead of time. It's called pre-qualification or pre-approval.

Once you find the house and have a bid in, get the home inspector to go through it. They are supposed to go through houses with the proverbial fine-toothed comb and can point out things you would miss. After the inspection, you can decide whether this house really is the Right One.

Always look under the wall-to-wall carpet. Some people seem to think that carpet is better than hardwood floors. Silly people. Carpet is good for allergies! Real people have floors. ;-)

If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me or just reply here. ;-)

Good luck and good hunting!