When it comes to buying houses, your safest bet is to go through a real estate agent and do your homework on the area. Keep in mind that many real estate agents get paid commission and are typically only interested in how much of a cut they are getting. What this means for you is that they will be showing you the highest listings that they can get away with while sparing little regard for you, your family, and the neighborhood. This is why we highly recommend contacting one of our agents. We do NOT work on commission and we are dedicated to finding you the perfect home in the perfect area for the perfect price. Very few of our competitors can say the same! We also research the neighborhoods before we list ANY of our homes so you can rest assured that we have done our homework and will find you the perfect spot. However, if you decide to use one of our competitors or do the house hunting yourself, here are five things that you really should do before you dig out your checkbook:
- Google the neighborhood- This is probably the most important step of all. Just because a neighborhood and home look perfect from the view of your car, looks can be deceiving. You may end up next to rowdy neighbors or a sketchy part of town. You can typically find all of the information necessary to make an educated decision about whether or not to purchase a home in a particular neighborhood by skimming through a few pages on Google. We recommend spending a substantial amount of time researching the area and if possible, talk to the neighbors and see what they think of the neighborhood. You can also call us for information on the neighborhood.
- Look up crime reports- Again, scour the Internet! Google will easily become your best friend during your house hunting endeavor so take full advantage of it! While it can definitely be time consuming looking through all of the reports and public information regarding your potential new neighborhood, we can assure you it will be well worth it when your dream home is not only perfect on the inside, but the outside and surround area as well. Most crime reports are public and are not that hard to find; all it takes is a little bit of Googling or calling the right people. You can always contact the local police station and explain that you are interested in moving to the area but would like information about what goes on around the area. You can also visit www.crimereports.com You’ll be glad you did!
- Check out the schools- If you have little ones, this is one of the most important things to do; after all, you do not want to send your child to a crime infested school district or one that offers a poor education. www.GreatSchools.com offers ratings and unbiased information so you can find the perfect school. We also recommend talking to some of the parents who send their children to the school and see what they think of it. Are the teachers attentive? Do they feel like their children are actually learning? Is it a safe/bully-free zone where your child can flourish? Most parents are more than happy to give you the full report on what they think of the district, school, and teachers. Not only will this help you find the right school for your child, it also helps you meet your potential neighbors!
- Visit the house during various times of the day/night- Just because the home looks perfect on a warm, sunny day doesn’t mean it won’t look like a haunted house once night time rolls around. Visiting the home during the night will also give you a good idea of how well lit the area is. If there aren’t a lot of street lamps or light near your home, there is a higher chance for criminal activity. After all, burglars would much rather break into a home that is tucked away in the dark rather than one that sits on a well lit street. Visiting the home during the weekend and various other hours can also show you what the noise levels will be like. For example, if you drive by on a Saturday night and the whole neighborhood is outside on their lawn sipping beer with the volume cranked up, you might want to pick a different location unless that’s your thing.
- Talk to the sellers one on one- More often than not, the sellers are more than happy to talk to you and address any concerns you may have. Make sure to ask them why they are relocating and if they have had any problems here in the past. While the information may be biased, it will none the less help you out.
While we understand that we cannot persuade all of you to go through Relief Real Estate for your home buying experience, we do want to caution you and offer you plenty of tips/tricks to help you along the way. Our phone lines are open to any of you who have questions, concerns, or want to know general information about the buying experience. We also want to caution you that if you are NOT going through a real estate agent and are buying directly from the seller themselves, you may end up paying more in the long run. The seller may also take advantage of the fact that you do not have a realtor to read the fine print of the documents that you must sign in order to buy the home, so make sure you read everything carefully. If something sends up a red flag or rubs you the wrong way, don’t be afraid to back out or call us for support! We are more than happy to assist you in any way possible. After all, the home buying experience should be a fun and exciting adventure; not something that you dread or fear.
Happy house hunting!
-Relief Real Estate Team
