Questions to Ask as You Begin Your Search for a Home to Make the Path as Smooth as Possible
Welcome to the wonderful world of architectural dreams becoming reality!
Buying a home is an exciting time! As you begin your search for a new home, please take a few moments to answer these questions so you can sharpen your shopping list and so I can fine-tune your home shopping experience to make the process as seamless as possible.
What do you want in a home and what is important to you?
Structure and Design:
· Do you want a single family home, condominium or
townhome?
· Do you want modern or tradition design or does
it make a difference to you? Please keep in mind that new paint and décor alone
can create a more modern or traditional environment, but if you have a definite
architectural look in mind for the structure of the home, please let me know.
· Do you want a move-in ready, turn-key home that
needs no work such as repairs, remodeling adjustments or even just new paint?
· How much do you want to pay in home maintenance
fees in a Homeowner’s Association and do you want to pay on a monthly or annual
basis? (Usually condominiums and townhomes have monthly or quarterly fees and
single family homes have annual fees if the neighborhood has a Homeowner’s
Association. Sometimes HOA fees cover yard maintenance (in condos or townhomes)
utilities, cable tv etc.)
· Do you want a one-story home or a two-story
home?
· How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want?
· Do you want a big yard, a small yard or no yard
at all? Consider maintenance time.
Location:
· Do you want to be located in the center of
things or in a quieter location?
· Do you want to be able to walk to the grocery
store or drive to the store?
· Do you want to be close to shopping and if so,
what kind of shops?
· Do you want to be near a school or a particular
type of school such as elementary, high school or college?
· Are there any activities you want to be near
such as a golf course or a park for exercising, biking, dog walking or just a
place to read a book or Kindle on nice day? Do you want to be near movie theaters,
performance arts such as plays, opera, symphony, art galleries and museums? Do
you want to be near sports stadiums and if so which ones? Do you want to be
able to walk to these activities or have a short drive?
· Do you have any doctor’s offices or health care
facilities that you want to be near?
· Where is your job located and how close do you
want to be to your job? Please tell me about your job so I can consider that in
determining location.
· Is there a location you feel that you must be
near or one that you absolutely do not want to be near?
Finances
· How much do you want to spend?
· Is this a set amount or do you have flexibility
to go up or down in price? (Some people start looking at the bottom of their
preferred price point, some start at the top and some start at the middle. That’s why it’s important for me to have a
better idea of your price preferences. As you consider pricing, please keep in
mind that you might have a down payment, closing costs, homeowner’s insurance
and PPI, which is payment protection insurance that might be part of a loan.
PPI insurance could cover your mortgage payments if something happens to
interrupt your cash flow.)
· Do you want to pay cash or get a loan?
· Are you pre-approved for a loan? Please ask your
banker about whether you would have fixed mortgage rate or an adjustable rate.
The adjustable rate can result in high mortgage payments later so please
consider that into your budget.
· As you look for a home, financial experts
suggest that you do not make any major purchases that could affect your credit
and affect your ability to get a loan. For example, if you want to buy new
furniture on credit and the purchase would affect your credit rating, it might
be best to wait to actually buy the furniture until your home purchase is
finished.
· How much do you want to put down as a down
payment? Please keep in mind that a bigger down payment will bring down your
monthly mortgage payment.
Timing
· When do you want to move?
· Do you need to factor in the sale of your
current home into the purchase of a new home? Are you currently renting and
need to time the new home purchase with the expiration of your current lease?
Please let me know if
you have any other requirements or questions.
Thanks taking the time to answer these questions and thanks for your business!
Thanks taking the time to answer these questions and thanks for your business!
Susan Speck (713) 653-4291 Speck.Condo@gmail.com
Texas Real Estate License Number: 584578
