First Time Buyer Tips
>Well, Now let’s start looking for that home!>Tell everyone you know that you want to buy a home and that you are a first time buyer. That way you just might hear about those homes that have just come on the market that are right for you. Generally speaking homes that have been on the market for more than two months are priced too high or have a major deficiency. However, if you have the skills to do some renovating yourself you may be able to find a good deal in buying a home which others do not want: a fix-it-upper.Read the newspapers and real estate magazines. Check out the internet, especially sites like realtor.ca which lists thousands of homes for sale in Ontario. Drive through neighborhoods looking for homes with For Sale signs. Visit the Open House homes. You will soon find out how much home you can buy for your dollar. Bring along a home owning friend to visit some of these homes. Another pair of eyes can sometimes see things about a home that you do not see as a first time buyer, like dark spots in the corner of a ceiling which may indicate a roof or upper bathroom leak, or mold that sometimes looks like tiny dark spots on a wall behind furniture or around the bath tub. For a first time buyer a real estate agent is the key to finding the right home for your family. Find one who will ask questions about what you want in a home and will sincerely listen to what you say. Find someone you feel you can trust. A referral from family or friends who have had a good experience with a real estate representative is a good way to start. Find a real estate lawyer to advise you and take care of the legal documents once you have found a home you want to buy. Check out the page on Buying a Home . Read about a Sustainable Neighborhood . Living in this type of area can greatly enhance the lifestyle for your family. Read the page on Negotiating to Buy a Home. Yes, you can negotiate! Who wants to pay full price! Read the page that explains the Agreement of Purchase and Sale See the page on Home Inspection . A professional home inspector can find problems or potential problems with the home that you may not want to accept or deal with after you have bought the home. See: The Cost of Buying a Home . These are costs sometimes referred to as closing costs that are due on closing day also known as moving day. There are also costs related to setting up your home such as utilities for water, electricity, internet, cable, heating fuel, telephone if you need a land line. See The Cost of Owning a Home to find out the monthly expenses there are in order to live in a home. See Home Maintenance for a check list of items to inspect at various times of the year. Keeping your home in good condition will protect your investment so that when the day comes when you want to sell it you can sell it for a good price. See Real Estate and Legal Terms Explained. Reading this page will take away much of the mystery of all the jargon related to real estate and legal matters. See Home Insurance. This page will suggest what to insure and why insurance is necessary. Check out the copy of The Agreement of Purchase and Sale that is used in Ontario. It is not an easy read! If you have a real estate representative ask for an explanation of the sections. Go from first time buyer to Home Page Buy a Home Guide
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