Things To Interest A First-Time Home Buyer

While the benefits of having a home are great, there is another side to home ownership you need to know about. Prior to making an offer on a new home, here are a few questions you want your real estate realtor Green Bay Wito ask when considering purchasing a new home!

Cost-related issues

Like any other type of trade, buyers want to minimize their costs while sellers want to maximize their profits. It goes without saying that you worked hard to save for you home, and you need to be aware of costs you might not have anticipated. Here are a few of those questions you should ask about the house;

How much the seller owes on the house? Usually when sellers ask for amounts lesser than what they owe, they will be subjecting you to a short sale. This can be a very long and complex negotiation involving the bank.
What is the assessed value, or tax value of the home, and how much they paid for the home? This is all public record and easily accessible. Their profit is none of your concern. However, it helps to know if the property’s value has increased or decreased.

How long did they have the home, and if they haven’t owned it long why are they selling? Is there a problem with the house or neighborhood?

4. Do your homework and find out the cost of similar houses within the area. In fact, banks will rely on comparable sales to determine the value of the mortgage you will receive.

5. What are the crime stats and other important information you want to know about the neighborhood before you buy?

6. Also ask for water bills and other utility bills. Your home might not be insulated for winter, and you could be paying thousands of dollars to heat the outside.
Issues related to the condition of the home

Cheap houses for sale Green Bay Wi could in reality become the most expensive house you will ever buy. Make sure you read the real estate disclosure form to make ensure there are not any structural defects, and make sure you have a home inspection, with the option to have the seller fix the problems or allow you to back out of the deal if the costs of repair are too high. To avoid a money pit, ask the following questions;

What kind of foundation is the house built on, and are there, or have there been, any issues with the foundation including water damage or any leakage. Is it a full basement, slab, or crawl space? If it’s a crawl space, was it correctly ventilated to prevent mold? Also, are there any structural cracks in the outside brick or stress crack by the corners of doors and windows?

2. When were the appliances replaced? This is important because older appliances might be too old to repair and they cost more to operate.

3. How is the attic? Is there enough insulation, are there any mice or animals living up there, or is it properly vented so you do not get dry rot or mold? Is the attic properly braced to prevent roof sagging?

Buying Bank Owned Homes Vs Regular Single Family Homes

Some claim buying a foreclosure bank owned home is quite hectic and complex while some other home buyers have a hard time just researching buying a non bank owned home. Either prospective is right! Experts say you will go through similar hassles to get a home from either seller. Well, if you are uncertain of the best way to go, then this is the article for you.

Differences between the two types of homes

It is vital that you understand the differences between the two types of single family homes for sale Green Bay Wi before you waste your time and money:

- To begin with, regular sellers tend to have disclosures that bank-owned homes lack. It goes without discussion that banks barely have the knowledge of the history of the homes they are selling. This is not the case for homes sold by their owners. They are required by Wisconsin state law to disclose any material defects on the property, and if they do not, they are liable to the buyer for any future repairs. They know their homes flaws and strong points. Banks on the other hand, have little knowledge and sell their property “as is” without disclosures.

- Bank contracts tend to favor banks. After submitting your offer, banks can come up with an addendum that alters your offer. This leads to complex negotiations even for experienced Realtors!
- Normally, banks sell their property in their current condition. If the home has mold, water damage or dry rot or any other major problems like a cracked foundation they do not have to remedy those problems prior to selling. If you are buying a bank owned home you will want to make sure you get an expert in prior to making an offer so you really know what you’re buying. Plus, you should be prepared to pay extra for all the repairs the home contractor finds. Fortunately, you have an upper hand if you buy from regular sellers that are required to disclose all known defects. Although it’s recommended that you get a home inspection to identify any problems so the home seller fixes them prior to the sale. This way, you can negotiate and repair all problems as agreed!

- Negotiations with banks tend to take longer than negotiating for regular homes. Banks rely on asset managers who then rely on agents. These agents likely deal with many other banks and you never really know if your offer is even a priority. Remember, most banks or asset management companies are large corporations that lack the personal touch. They are in the business of property and you have to follow their bureaucratic process if you want a chance at buying one of their foreclosed properties. Many times, you will be lucky just to receive a call back versus a home seller who really wants to sell their property.

How to Find a Low Cost Realtor

To find out a low cost realtor, you should follow some important steps mentioned in this article.

Meet realtors personally out of their working environment. Do not meet them in their offices. Keep in mind that a low cost realtor spends very little time at his desks. Side by side, meeting them personally is always good.

Make sure he has very good records and closed many properties in the last few years.

Try to contact a real estate agent with whom your friends, family members or relatives have worked. Know where he offers his services at lower cost. Be sure whether this agent has produced positive results for them. Ask whether he can ensure same result for you. If he can assure you it, you can get started with him.

Make sure whether your agent has any knowledge about online marketing. Getting a web savvy realtor is always good. It is very important today as more than 90% of all sellers make their property online for more visibility. Your realtor must be capable of texting and sending email to both buyers and sellers. Some advance agents have their own laptop and Smartphone to assist their buyers.

A hard-working and responsible agent is always good. A professional real estate agent can work effectively, utilizing his strong network. He will accompany you to pay a visit to different destinations.

Be sure that your agent has enough knowledge in real estate domain. You can ask him some questions at the time of discussion. This will help you know about his domain knowledge.

You do some research about the low cost agents. You can take the aid of the internet. You should choose an agent who will work agreeably with other agents. He must have a strong network to get information about the various properties for sale.

Read the reviews and testimonials posted by users. It will help you get an impression about the company. More positive reviews are always better. Make a comparison of the reviews and select your agents.

Try to find a low cost realtor who maintains a long-term relationship with his buyers.

You should check the references that an agent can offer you. You should know detail about the person. Ask him about his residential address and other personal details. This is very important for large cities. Unless, you don’t know well about low cost realtor, you won’t be able to catch him easily. If anything wrong happens in the transaction, you can easily catch him and ask him about reason. If he is a Cashback agent, you can ask him for compensation. If you lose your money for his cause, you should defiantly ask him for compensation.