Mistakes First Time Home Buyers Should Avoid

Posted by grantvine on January 27th, 2014

Buying a home for the first time is amongst one of life’s biggest achievements. However, sometimes due to the excitement of buying a home, first time home buyers make certain mistakes they regret later. Below is a list of mistakes that GrantVine would like to share with you that every first time home owner should avoid. Grant Vine is an online searchable grant database providing information about valuable financial assistance programs to those in need.

Not choosing the right real estate agent

You will want to establish a relationship with a seasoned real estate agent; they have a better feel for the market than a typical person, and may also possess valuable negotiation skills. Hiring the wrong real estate agent will do you more harm than good; you want to be sure the agent is listening to what you need, and can afford, and is going to bat for you.

Not doing enough research

When buying a home, everything including its distance from hospitals, schools, retail, your office, and an airport should be taken into account. Also, it’s important to look into the area’s history of crime and any other deterrents it may have. You want to be sure the home isn’t just what you like, but that the community around it is also what you need.

Not making a budget

Not preparing a budget can make you regret the purchase later. It’s better to prepare a budget and know how much you can afford. To begin with, you can make a list of all your monthly expenses (excluding rent), including vehicle costs, student loan payments, credit card payments, groceries, health insurance, and retirement savings and so on. Don't forget major expenses that may only occur once a year, like insurance premiums or vacations. Subtract this total from your take-home pay and this should give you a good idea of how much you can spend on your new home each month. GrantVine, can help you achieve your dream of home ownership as it has 1,000’s of programs you can search through in its exclusive database containing grants for the first time home buyers as well as many additional types of grants, loans and assistance programs for all types of home buyers.

Not getting someone reliable to inspect the home

You should be sure to hire a reputable inspector to look over the home so you can learn about any problems that you may need to deal with if you were to purchase the home. If there are any major repairs, you may be able to get the homeowner to cover them or knock the estimate for the repairs off your purchase price.

Not considering the affordability

When buying a house, not taking the affordability into account is one mistake that many o first time home buyers make. Sometimes, you may feel like you have found your dream house but, those winter heating and summer cooling bills may push your monthly payments beyond affordable. Same goes for the water bills you’ll pay to maintain a pristine landscape. Therefore, determine not only your monthly mortgage payment amount but also factor in the costs of running the home before buying.

Buying a house for the first time can be both exciting and intimidating. Therefore, be sure to consult experts as you seek your dream house; you can also utilize reliable resources like GrantVine to assist you find financial assistance to help you purchase your home. GrantVine is an online grant search engine which provides you an easy way to find grants and assistance to fulfill your dreams.

To know more, visit-http://www.grantvine.net/.