What Home Buyers Should Do Before Making An Offer.

1) Research the market.  You've heard the terms "It's A Buyer's" market or "It's a seller's"  market.  A hot market is a seller's market - where homes sell quickly and buyers are getting in line to buy up the available inventory.  A slow market is a buyer's market - that's a market where there are alot of homes for sale and a buyer can pick and choose and usually negoitate a better price.   When you find the area you want to live in - start your homework by investigating what is going on in the market. Are prices increasing?  Are there plenty of homes for sale?  

2)Find Comparables- once you have found the home you are interested in - find similar homes that have sold recently in the same neighborhood.  These similar homes are called "comparables" with the same number of bedrooms and baths and similar in size, and have sold RECENTLY!  This will give you an indication of what the home your interested in may be worth.  Remember that market condtions can change quickly....that is why I emphasised RECENTLY.

3) Hit the pavement and check out the comparables.  Once you have deteremined what the comparable properties are - go visit them in person.  Check out the condition and location. Stats and figures tell a lot about a home - but they cna't fully express how a home looks and feels in person.  

4) Get 411 (information).  Find out the sales history of a property.  This can be done through an on-line search of the Deed of Registrars or with the help of a real estate agent. 

5) Check DOM - find out how long the hme has been on the market.  Your buyer's agent will be able to give you an exact days on market.  

6) Inspect - visit the property and do a visual inspection. Your agent will help you get in the property.  Make sure to inspect the foundation, get into the attice and if necessary - stick your head into the crawl space.  You may even want to do a Home Inspection before making an offer. 

7)Test out the commute.  How far it is to your workplace?  What about schools, shopping and medical care.  Make sure the commute works for you. 

8) Explore the neighborhood.  I always tell my clients to explore the neighborhood.  Visit at times during the day when people are heading home from work.  See what is going on in the area on weekends.  Talk to a couple of neighbors - they are a good source of information. 

9)Get a second opinion.  Take a family member or friend out to the property.  Have them walk through and around the house.  They may see something that you did not see on your initial inspection.

10) Get your financing in order.  Start pulling together the necessary documents that will verify employment and income.  Shop 3 lenders to make sure you are getting the best interest rates.  

Now you are ready to put in that offer.  Visit our website www.crystalcoasthomesearches for more home buying tips, as well as to search all homes for sale on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. 

Beach Front Bargains - Homes for Sale Under $300,000; Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores and Indian Beach.

Crystal Coast Beach Front Bargins Under $300,000

Summer is winding down and your beach vacation just ended.  You have always dreamed of living at the beach and having a view like that pictured to the left.  We were able to snap this one of Emerald Isle Beach on one of our morning strolls.

Are you Looking for the Beach Front Bargain in Emerald Isle or any of the Crystal Coast Beaches?
We have a full list of the beach homes  for sale under $300,000 in Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Indian Beach and Emerald Isle.  Interest rates are still low and there is plenty of inventory to choose from.  Let the Crystal Coast Home Team help you find that beach front bargain today!

If you would like to view all homes for sale on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina (not just the beaches), we can help.  We are members of the Eastern North Carolina MLS which means you can visit our website and view homes from Wrightsville Beach to Oriental.  Let us help you find your Crystal Coast Home now!

Top 9 Mistakes Home Buyer's Make When Buying a Home

Thinking about buying a home?  First time home buyer?  Here are the top 9 mistakes that home buyers make when buying a home. 

1) Move too fast.   Many buyers rush into buying a new home.  They only view a few and then fall in love with the home that may not be right for them. Buying a new home is an exciting thing and a home is something that you will hold on to for a few years.  Take your time.  Write out a list of what it is you are looking for in that home.  Visit as many as possible. Revisit those that are high on your list. You'll find that moving more slowly will help you make a smarter purchase 

2) Not Doing research.  On top of moving too fast - many home buyers do not research the area in which they are relocating. What are the local market conditions? What is going on in the community you are looking at?  Be sure to check out the history of the home you are interested in.  Check out the public resources available to find out what is going on locally in terms of zoning or pending tax assessments. 

3) Skipping A home Inspection.  In the rush to buy a home - a buyer may want to skip a home inspection to speed up the process. A good home inspector may help a buyer find potential defects and potential problems - such as a leaky roof, water in the crawl space, or a cracked foundation. 

4) Ignoring your surroundings.  When buying a home - you not only get the walls of the home surrounding you - but you are gaining neighbors and a community as well. 

5) Buying too much house.  Bigger is not always better.  Think about the upkeep of a bigger home.  Not to mention the possiblity of a "bigger" mortgage payement.  Do you really need that much space?  You may not enjoy the home so much if you are struggling to keep up financially.  Take a look at your monthly costs (food, utilities, car payment) and try not to have your monthly debts (including your mortgage payment) not be more than 36% of your monthly income.  

6) Buying the priciest  house on the block.  If you can afford it and are not planning on moving - why not.  However, home buyers will change homes once or twice in a lifetime. That's when buying the best house on the block isn't such a good idea.  When it comes time to resell the house, you may find that your asking price far exceeds the price range of other homes in your area. Definite killer on buyer interest. 

7) Not getting pre-qualified/pre-approved.  Getting pre-qualified when thinking about buying a home - enables the buyer to find out how much home they can afford. If you start the process of searching for a home without the pre-qualified step - you may be wasting your time and energy looking at homes you cannot afford.  The next step in the process is to get "Pre-approved".  This gives you a step up when it comes to making an offer on the perfect home. A pre-approval letter from a lender shows a seller that a lender has agreed to lend you a specified amount of money.  This will make you look more attractive to a seller when considering an offer.  

8) Making an unconditional offer.  An unconditional offer means an offer without contigencies.  What are contigencies?  One major contigency is getting a mortgage, a second contigency is the home inspection, a third contigency may be you have to sell a home to buy a home.  See where I am going with this?  While we think a "contigency-free" offer is a hassle-free offer - it is not always a smart move. 

9) Not getting everything in writing.  I always tell my clients that an verbal offer is as good as the paper it is written on.  In otherwords - verbal agreements are unenforceable.  To have a clear understanding of what each party is to bring to the table - put it in writting.  You may think that the refrigerator and microwave go with the property, but the seller may have other ideas.  

For more tips on homebuyering (or selling) visit our website at www.crystalcoasthomesearches.com