Buying a house, whether it’s a first time house, or the fourth or fifth house you have purchase in your lifetime is a really big deal, you want to do it right. You want to know you’re getting a home you’re going to be happy with for a long time to come. When you’re looking at the townhouses for sale in your area, you want to follow some time proven tips to ensure you make the best possible final decision.
Before you start looking at the townhouses for sale, you need to meet with your bank manager or loan officer and have them check out your credit. Not only do you want to find out what type of interest rate you can get, but you will also want to know how high a mortgage they’re willing to approve you for. Once you know this, you will be able to sit down and figure out exactly how much you want to spend on monthly mortgage payments, and how much you can afford to spend as a down payment. Keep in mind that just because the bank has approved you for a two hundred thousand mortgage, you don’t have to take advantage of it. You can look at less expensive homes.
Once you know your budget, sit down and make a list of things you need for your next home. For example, if you love to cook, you won’t be happy with anything that doesn’t have a great kitchen, and should avoid looking at any townhouses for sale with small or outdated kitchens. If you have pets, you’ll want a big backyard in a pet friendly area. If you have children, or plan on having children, you want to limit your search to townhouses with multiple bedrooms.
How handy are you when you it comes to do it yourself home improvement projects? If you don’t mind fixing things up and handling the repairs older houses generally require, you should think about looking at townhouses that have been foreclosed on. They sometimes need work done, but you can usually get a really good price, and won’t have to wait for a current occupant to move out. If you’re not good at home improvement, you will want to limit your search to newer homes that won’t require as much care and upkeep.
When you meet with a real estate agent, you need to be very clear about what your budget, and the features your new home must have. They will be able to use this information to streamline the search. If the real estate agent shows you townhouses for sale that don’t fit your requirements, you will want to change realtors.
