When buying a house for the first time, you did not just dive into getting one right away. It will be more or less your lifetime abode, it had to be worth every single penny you have so you should to be very careful.
Buying a house is not like buying a shirt or pants which you can replace just in case you will not like the fit. So better be keen on all details as with regards to many things, from start to finish, especially to first time house buyers. You might want to take a look at factors to consider.
Geographical Location
- Make it a primary consideration that the house you will buy should be near the place where you get your financial sources as well as the other members of the family. The metro is already congested, residential houses in nearby towns and cities seem a good alternative.
- Should not be sitting above or near earthquake fault lines.
- Should not be one of the “easy to get flooded” area during typhoons.
Budget
If you are one of those who do not have the liberty of paying in cash, you should at least have on-hand, the amount enough for the down payment. There are a lot of options for the balance – bank loan, in-house realty loan, mortgage housing loan etc. But of course, you have to be confident that you will qualify for a loan. All the necessary processing to follow, you can work this out with the realtor you finally decided to deal with. To help you with regards to budgeting, there is a free online mortgage calculator which will automatically compute your monthly loan mortgage payment with regards to the interest rates, down payment and loan terms.
SIze
Select the appropriate house size for the size of your family, taking into consideration your foresight of your size growth in the near future. It is not practical to get a big house if your family size is small. Corresponding maintenance and operational expenses such as real estate tax, electricity & water bill, homeowners fees, etc, goes in direct proportion to your house size.
Community
Also took into consideration the community. The area should be pleasant to live in, the one that you imagine yourself resting after busy hours from work. The neighborhood considered as well. Who would like to live in an area where gang wars are happening? A big no no.
So, how do you find “the one”?
- Make your fingers work. Google reviews on house offerings, communities, traffic and more. Read a lot. Remember, you are making a big decision, a long-time commitment to something. Make this your best thesis ever!
- Visit Open Houses or Virtual House Tours. Don’t settle for one or two trips. Visit as many as you can. Get the chance to view different house models, observe yourself, one of them would ring you a bell, a perfect match for your taste. Doing this will also familiarize you with standard pricings and offerings in real estate.
After considering all these factors and doing the necessary research work, the last thing to do is Pray. Getting a new house is no joke, especially for first timers. Seek wisdom and you will finally be “home.”