Home Buying Articles & Advice

• Don't Buy a Car - or Did You Already Buy One?
• • When Income Grows and You Want to Buy "Stuff"
  • Debt-to-Income Ratios and Car Payments
  • How Buying a Car Reduces Your Purchase Price
• Things Not To Do Before Buying a Home
• • No Major Purchases of Any Kind
  • Don't Move Money Around
  • Should You Change Jobs?
• Reasons to Delay Buying a Home
• Why Buying a Home is a Good Idea
• • The Best Investment
  • Income Tax Savings
  • Stable Monthly Housing Costs
  • Forced Savings
  • Freedom and Individuality
• The Business Cycle and Buying a Home
• • Recession and Expansion
  • Supply and Demand
  • Should You Try to "Time the Market"?
  • Why You Should Not Wait
• What's More important - Buying a House? Or a Home?
• Why Search for A Realtor?
• • Finding an Agent by "Accident"
  • Listing Agents vs. Selling (Buyer's) Agents
  • Should You Call the Listing Agent?
  • Agent's Advertising - Is the Purpose What You Think?
  • Finding Your Own Realtor
  • Some Basics About the Search
  • How to Conduct the Search
  • Interviewing A Good Realtor
  • When the Agent Asks You for an Appointment
• Looking Ahead - Buyer's Remorse
• Buying a Home With Resale Value - Location
• • Location, Location, Location?
  • Location - Local Community, Town or City
  • Location - the Local Neighborhood
  • Location - the Residential Neighborhood
• Buying a Home With Resale Value - the House
• • A Home With a View?
  • Lot Choice and Landscaping
  • House Size
  • Bedrooms & Bathrooms
  • Closets, Garage & Laundry
  • Kitchen
  • Fireplaces
  • Swimming Pool?
• Comparable Sales and Your Offer Price
• • Determining Your Offer Price
  • Comparable Sales in the Public Record
  • Comparable Sales in the Multiple Listing Service
  • Comparable Sales - Pending Transactions
• Factors Affecting Your Offer Price
• • How Property Condition Affects Your Offer
  • How Home Improvements Affect Your Offer
  • How Market Conditions Affect Your Offer
  • How Seller Motivation Affects Your Offer
  • The Final Decision on Your Offer Price
• Offering to Purchase Real Estate - the Basics
• • Introduction and Overview
  • Contingencies in a Purchase Offer
  • Earnest Money Deposit
  • The Closing Date
  • Transfer of Possession
• Writing an Offer - Safeguards Regarding the Property
• • Disclosures From the Seller
  • Condition of the Property Upon Transfer
  • Inspections You May Require
  • Final Walk-Through Inspection
• How Financing Details Affect Your Offer
• • Down Payment
  • Interest Rate
  • Closing Costs and Financing Incentives
  • Seller Financing
  • Cash Offers
• How FHA and VA Financing Affects Your Offer
• • Extra Costs for the Seller
  • More Detailed (and expensive) Appraisals
• You and the Seller Must Agree on Some Services
• • Settlement and Escrow
  • Title Insurance Companies
  • Termite and Pest Inspections
• Buyer's Remorse- Did You Make a Huge Mistake?