Home Buying Tips

• Low price not always best value
  A home at a low price may be no bargain at all if the maintenance costs are prohibitive Continue article...
• Traps all home buyers should avoid
  At the beginning of a new year, it's natural to make resolutions. For instance, you may have been putting off buying a home. Now you've resolved to buy before interest rates rise and you're priced out of the market. Before forging ahead, consider the following tips and traps. Continue article...
• House Inspectors: Choosing The Right One...
  A qualified house inspector is the surest way to discover a house's not-so-obvious problems. Most professional inspectors are from some type of construction background, such as engineering, architecture or contracting. Their responsibility is to crawl beneath the floors, squeeze through the attic and generally comb the house's structure and mechanical systems for shortcomings. They give the buyer a complete report; with this, the buyer can decide whether or not the house is a good deal, or at least put together a "punch list" of items that must be fixed (it isn't unusual for this report to contain about 50 items). The fee for this service generally runs from about $300 to $500 and up. Continue article...
• How can I improve my real estate purchase offer?
  Few failed endeavors can match the frustration of losing out in a multiple-offer competition. But, almost as disappointing is making the only offer—and a strong one—and having the seller outright reject it. Here are a few tips on how to sweeten your offer without jeopardizing your financial security. Continue article...
• Try selling home without agent
  About 85 percent of home sellers use real estate agents to list and sell their houses. Continue article...
• "First-Hand Advice" Builders Offer Five Tips For Buyers
  When it comes to home sales and construction, it is certainly the builder's responsibility to make sure the process goes smoothly. Continue article...