Video: 5 Things I Wish I knew Before Buying Our Houses!

We were pretty young buying our first home, like 5-months-fresh-outta college young! And to be honest, we really didn’t consult anyone about what we should be looking for when buying a house. We bought another house 3 years later and still didn’t seek any advice (whew! hardhead, much?!) So, don’t be like us! Get some knowledge before jumping in to buy. In this video I give you 5 things I wish I knew before buying our 2 houses! This is not an exhaustive list just a few of the things I didn’t consider beforehand.

By the way! I had so much difficulty uploading directly the website, I had to go the round about way and start a youtube channel!!!… Maybe next time I can have this figured out, but I didn’t want to delay anymore!!! By the way, this is my first video, so please excuse the innumerable hair flips, “ummms”, rambling and the fact that you can see up my nostrils! These videos will get better…I hope!

• If you just want a quick summary scroll past the video to get the bullet points.

1. Location, Location, Location- Location is king when it comes to home value and pricing.Pick a neighborhood where resale will be highly likely and desirable by most people. Look for higher performing school districts and manicured lawns as indicators.
2. Compatible and knowledgeable Real Estate Agent- One who will listen to your needs/wants and not try to steer you in the direction which only benefits him/her. All agents aren’t created equal. Try to get an agent familiar with the neighborhoods you are interested in.
3. Age/condition of the big ticket items like the roof, HVAC and Air conditioner. You may be able to get the seller to replace these. Factor in replacement costs to your budget of things to do in the house, especially if these items are older.
4. Research the process of buying a house! Ask a parent or friend who is familiar with process. Google the process to find the pros and cons of buying a house.
5. Think about what your long or short term goal with the property is. Always have a plan. Life may not go according to that plan, but that is ok! Life is about adjusting to what you are given!