Purchasing a home is a huge investment, most likely the largest you will make in your lifetime. You are nervously optimistic, have followed your Realtors advice and are pre-approved, and you have narrowed your home choices down to your top 2-3 favorites…price, location, upgrades being nearly equal, how do you decide which home to place an offer on?To ensure your future love nest is everything you envision it will be, below are a few first-time buyer tips that can help you pick the right house.
1. Drive through the prospective neighborhood in the AM, early afternoon, and in the evening. Each time slot will give a different perspective on how busy the area is, the traffic congestion, and the noise level.
2. Visit the schools, during school time. No better way to see how a school operates then to see organized chaos in action.
3. Drive to and from work via the property locale during your normal work hours. A 10 mile trip can be a 40 minute drive, one way, are you ok with that?
4. Stop and talk with the neighbors. But, be warned…even good intending neighbors can give the wrong signals so apply your filters as necessary.
5. Check with your state sex offender registry and your local sex offender site, if available. In Georgia, start your sex offender search here.
6. Visit SpotCrime or another online crime source to see the activity in your future neighborhood.
7. Take a close(r) look at the surrounding area. Is there a highway, active train tracks, or other distraction close by?
Most of all, take a deep breath and enjoy your house hunting experience.
As always, first-time home buyer tips are provided as a courtesy by your Warner Robins Realtor.