Tuesday, 26 May 2009

Home Buying Advice For First Time Home Owners

By Alexandria P. Anderson

Most first-time homebuyers find it both practical and interesting to have a 'new' house for a number of benefits: a new space to raise your family, brand new amenities and home features, and the fact that you need not to worry about costs on maintenance or renovation in the first year.

On one side though, new properties can be more costly compared to an existing one, not to mention the level of uncertainty you might be facing as a newcomer in a whole new community.

Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each scenario can help you make the best decision about your new home purchase; consider the following important points as you get started on the home buying process:

1. Are you willing to spend extra for a new home's purchase? Because of its newness, all brand new homes are priced at a premium; this means that you will be the one to get a taste of everything it offers, from the moment you entered your new property.

2. Do you care for resale value? Existing homes can have slower appreciation than newly-constructed ones, as explicated by Ilyce Glink (writer of the book '100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask'). When you have plans of selling your home in the near future, it may be a good idea to have a brand new home because it's market value is higher and you can profit at a larger scale from it.

3. Are you the type of person who can adapt well? The construction of new homes rapidly increases at a certain time, thus, being a new homeowner in an area may require knowing more people in the neighborhood before having a full knowledge about the whole area. Two important factors necessary in a household of small children or elderly are safety and security, you can discover your options to ensure that your house is safe and secure all the time.

4. Are you willing to invest your resources for home renovation ? Existing homes can appreciate tremendously in value if you have the time and resources to invest in renovations and maintenance. You may opt for a 'fixer upper' if your plan is to have a long-term investment to give you a high profit at a short time.

5. Which do you prefer, a primary residence or an investment? Many younger first time home buyers are looking for investment properties that they can fix up and sell quickly to turn a profit. Mature home buyers are more likely to be in the market for a primary residence since they want to settle down and establish themselves in the neighborhood. Identify your goals beforehand and decide what you think will give you more benefits.

Once you have decided and thought about the amount you are willing to spend for your new home, its about time to choose between an existing or a new home. These questions may all be helpful as you pick the best option suited to your budget and future plan.

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