When a South Florida first-time
home buyer begins hunting for the prize that has to serve both as a
satisfactory home base and a solid
investment, most feel a mixture of excitement (a home is a landmark achievement!) and maybe just a touch of apprehension.
Like any expense you’ve never encountered before, it’s appropriate to take
extra care the first time out — and to pay attention to what experience teaches.
Along those lines, here are some mistakes that are easy for a first-time home
buyer to make. Fortunately, they’re also easy to sidestep:
1. Waiting
for a better rate
Adjustable rates may well be
about as low as they’re going to get right now – and some signs point to an
increase in the coming months. For a South Florida first-time home owner who
will be taking out a loan, if the property is right, hesitating to make a
commitment based on a loan rate gamble is seldom a good idea.
2. Thinking
short term
Consider thinking of a home as a
lifetime investment. Even for those who are single or newly-wedded, it’s
possible that being open to a house with extra rooms could end up saving considerably
on moving, transaction and agent fees, taxes, etc. It’s equally important to look
at neighborhoods and how they are changing and developing. If you do resell
your home, location can make a big difference in how.
3. Underestimating
hidden costs
The monthly mortgage payment isn’t
the ultimate bottom line. When a first-time home buyer comes across a property
that fills (or exceeds) everything he or she has been looking for, if the mortgage
payment looks to be right, it’s easy to overlook other homeowner expenses.
Experienced buyers make hardheaded estimates of maintenance fees and property
taxes — they will be every bit as consequential as the mortgage bill.
For a first-time home buyer in South
Florida, when thoughtful perspective goes into your final decision, it’s that
much more likely to be a decision that pays off in the long run. If you are preparing
to buy this winter, I’ll be standing by to help get you started!
No comments:
Post a Comment