Whether you are ready to put down some roots and buy your first home, or move to a bigger/smaller home that suits your life now, here’s the good news:

• Interest rates are still incredibly low, which makes for lower monthly payments.
• Sellers are motivated, so they are pricing their homes to sell and are making concessions to appeal to buyers.
• There are lots of homes to choose from!

What Do You Want in Your New Home?

There’s plenty to consider as you’re househunting:  neighborhoods, square footage, school districts, number of bedrooms, style (2-story colonial, ranch, cape cod, Tudor, contemporary?), yard (big or small?), price range, proximity to shopping, number of levels, privacy, window over the kitchen sink, open floor plan, and the list goes on.  It’s helpful to give this some thought, but sometimes just getting out and looking at houses in the areas you like will help to clarify the things that are absolutely essential.  Besides that, it’s fun!

Finding the One

With each property you and your agent visit, you might consider: does it have good flow, does it have good natural light?  And most importantly, does it feel good?!  If the house doesn’t feel right to you, keep looking.  Even if it has every single thing you thought you wanted and it’s a perfectly nice house.  Because when you walk into the house that’s meant to be yours, it welcomes you home and you just know.

Here are other things to consider:

Age and condition of systems (HVAC, hot water heater, plumbing, electrical)?

Age and condition of roof?

Age and condition of appliances (if they are conveying)?

Any flooding in basement (if applicable)?

Cost for utilities (gas, water, electricity, oil) for past 6-12 months?

Any underground oil storage tank?

Annual property taxes?   Is there any tax abatement in place?

Improvements the current owners have made to the property?

Building permit for additions, etc.?

Helpful details to know, yes?  And there’s more to it, of course, but that’s a good start.

Your Buyer’s Agent

Having a buyer’s agent that you trust to guide you through the search process, and to represent your interests and negotiate on your behalf when you find the home you want can make all the difference in the world. Remember, the seller pays the buyer’s agent’s commission at closing so it doesn’t cost you more to have someone looking out for you.