Top 3 Mistakes First Time Home Buyers Make

When an individual or young families first considers buying a house after moving out of their parents' home or spending years in apartments, there are innumerable mistakes they can make in the home buying process. With the help of a professional College Station, TX realtor, these mistakes will be minimized greatly. However, if you find yourself in this position, it is best to have the knowledge about what to avoid yourself before you get in over your head with a property that is not suitable for you or your family.

Learn these top three mistakes the first time home buyers make and avoid them when you set out to find your perfect property:

#1 – Choosing the Wrong Location
Most people who are buying a home for the first time understand that location is important. What they may not understand is what that exactly needs. A piece of real estate in a nice neighborhood, in an area with good schools and a low crime rate seems ideal. However, those are not the only criteria a person should be looking at.

Do you need a walkable location or public transportation available? Are there any waterways ponds nearby that could flood? Does the neighborhood backup to a ballpark, fire station or industrial zone? There are stories all over the Internet and news about people who move into communities and then try to get one of these things shut down even though it has been there in operation long before they bought the house. These people did not explore their location well enough.

#2 – Not Taking Into Account the Total Current and Future Budget

Finding an affordable mortgage is one thing, but taking into consideration all of the future operation and maintenance expenses of the home and property is another. Many first-time homebuyers have no experience with maintaining an entire building and yard on their own can have trouble budgeting for it.

A larger home with a larger yard cost more money to take care of. People who are looking for their first ever house need to research estimated costs and see if they can truly afford property they are looking at.

#3 – Falling in Love With a House To Easily

Just like a personal relationship may be doomed if you speed through the process and jump into a more serious commitment too soon, buying a house without considerable, objective thought and consideration can also lead you to a very expensive mistake.

Looking at photos online and going to open houses can definitely trigger and "Ooh! I love it!" reaction. Perhaps the hardwood floors are exactly what you always wanted or the large eat in kitchen makes you think of your dreams of a happy family settling down for a meal.

When you connect too much emotion to the initial impression of the house, it can get dangerous. Of course, families want to love the home they are going to move into, but things like budget, location and more practical matters will result in a better final choice for everyone.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!

Expensive Long-Term Considerations of Buying a Luxury Home

Many families dream of owning a luxury home with large, open concept rooms, extra living space for entertainment, relaxation, guests or office space and all the fabulous amenities that come with luxurious living. Of course, when looking at real estate purchase, you need to qualify for a mortgage, moving in and all other startup costs. When you and your family are in market for a new house, always be sure to tell your College Station, TX realtor what your actual budget is. This way she can show you houses you can afford.

Being able to qualify for a mortgage, pay a sufficient down payment and all closing costs and making your payments for the next 15 to 30 years is, of course, essential for luxury home ownership. Unfortunately, some people do not take into consideration other long-term expenses that will exist for the larger and fancier house.

Luxury homes are larger and have more rooms. This means you will have to furnish them unless you are going for stark minimalism and painting everything white with a cushion or two on the floor. Each room will need appropriate furniture, curtains and window treatments and some sort of decorator accents to make it really look like a home.

Larger and more numerous rooms also equals considerably higher utility costs. This is especially true for open concept homes and those with very high cathedral ceilings. It is more difficult to heat and cool them evenly than non-luxury homes with smaller rooms and 8 or 9 foot ceilings. One thing that can counteract these expenses is that many luxury homes have two or more zones of heating and cooling controls so you can use just the one you need efficiently.

Another long-term expense of buying a luxury home has to do with what the home is made of and how it is decorated before you bring in the furniture and knickknacks. Maintenance and upkeep of more luxurious materials will cost more than basic options. For example, marble countertops need to be sealed regularly so they do not stain. Hardwood floors are more likely to become scratched or worn than vinyl or laminate.

All the little touches that make a home truly luxurious only affect the way you live in them, but also how much money you have been well after the sale is complete. Even the families who can afford the higher price tax on a home found by their excellent College Station, TX realtor, need to think about whether the additional cost for utilities, decorating and maintenance are reasonable.

It may be better to consider is slightly smaller home or lot and focus on making that home as luxurious as you can on the inside. Finding the perfect home for your family may require some compromises on your dreams, but being able to afford not only the mortgage but the upkeep and utilities comfortably will make the home ownership life that much better.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!

5 Tips for Moving On Your Own With a Rental Truck

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The perfect property has been found with the help of your expert College Station, TX realtor. You have signed the mortgage papers, been through closing dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's and now it is time to move all of your belongings from your old home into the new one. If you plan to rent a truck and do all the packing, loading and unpacking yourself, it is important to understand important tips about safety for you and all your belongings as well as tips that can help the entire process be easier.

1 – Rent a truck big enough to carry all your stuff, but not so big that you cannot fill it securely. Renting a smaller truck may be less expensive, but taking two trips with the truck can definitely add up. If there are more than two drivers available, you might want to use two smaller trucks and still have someone left over to drive the family car.

2 – Load smaller things first and large furniture last. Although many people think it makes more sense to put the furniture in first and fit the boxes around it, doing it the other way makes it much easier to unload when you reach your new home. You can take the furniture out of the truck and inside and put it in the right positions before you fill the rooms up with boxes.

3 – Minimize the risk of anything breaking by taking it apart and packaging it well. All tables and chairs should have legs that can be removed with a simple screw in the bottom. This not only reduces the chance of breakage, but also gives you more room in the truck. Anything that is very breakable should be checked packaged with the utmost care. Every dish should be wrapped separately, every mirror should be padded and taped. A great idea to minimize damage is to slip that items like these between mattresses.

4 – Tie everything up. Connect one thing to another. Use straps, ropes, bungee cords and movers plastic wrap extensively. When you are driving along the bumpy road, the stuff in the truck will move around if you let it. Not only will this result in increased breakage and damage, but can also upset the balance of the truck make it much more difficult to drive and maneuver.

5 – Get help. Moving to a new home is stressful enough without trying to do it all on your own. If you are lucky enough to have family and friends that will work hard for you for pizza and beer at the end of a long day, make use of them. However, "Will you help me move?" often results in a great disappearing act instead. Offering pay to your muscular nephews or your friend's son may be a great option if you are not moving far. Even if you use a rental truck to move on your own, you can still frequently find a service that will help you load and unload the truck on either end.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!