Tag Archives: Buying a House

Things to Do before Signing Contracts and before Moving Day

This is the last in my series about moving and buying another house with your spouse. Before you sign a contract, check how far it is to schools, shopping, doctors and transport facilities. Check out how long it will take you and your spouse to get to work and to church. After you have found a house and area you like, come back a few times at night at varying times of the day to scope out the neighborhood and make sure all is quiet. If you know people in that area talk to them about how they find things. … Continue reading →

Do Your Homework

Now you have a firm buyer for your house, you and your spouse can start the fun process of looking for a house or apartment. Hopefully in the meantime you’ve been keeping your eyes on prices in the area you plan to move to and noticing any fluctuations in prices. Even within a suburb or town there can be variations because one part of the suburb or town is seen as less desirable than the other. So investigate the area thoroughly by driving around it. Where houses are uncared for, it tells you something about the attitudes of people living … Continue reading →

Moving House

Moving house, I heard recently on the radio, can be as stressful as divorce or the death of a spouse. It can be a time of emotional upheavals, depending on how long you have been in the one place and how attached to it you are. But it doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. It can be a good opportunity to take stock in your life and in your marriage. We have moved a lot of in our marriage, the last being just over two years ago. It didn’t quite go according to our plan and there were times … Continue reading →

What Husbands and Wive Look for When Buying a House

Now is a good time to buy, especially if you’re buying a first home. Interest rates are down and so are house prices. Before you do, look over your list of requirements. Husbands often tend to want a double garage and perhaps room for a workshop. If it’s a house that’s been built a few years, the husband will look at the condition of walls, ceilings and whether there are any water marks, guttering, drainage etc. Always go and look at the house again when it is raining. This will show up any faults or areas where the water tends … Continue reading →

Buying a House as a Couple

Whether you are buying your first house as a married couple or you’re further along the track, given the current economic climate it is more important than ever that you know what you’re doing. One of the first things when looking for a house is to look at your budget and what you can afford. Know what you can reasonably repay and don’t over commit yourself, so that if something goes wrong and you have sudden medical expenses etc, that you are left tying to figure out how to pay the mortgage. Over committing finances puts too much strain and … Continue reading →

Don’t Go Too Low When Buying a Home

We all know that it is definitely a buyers market right now. Anyone who is a good qualified home buyer has the opportunity to get so much more for their money today. Desperate home owners are throwing in all sorts of perks with the sale of their home, from free lawn service to fully stocked media rooms. With the situation being what it is, it may be tempted to make a really low offer on the house that you love. But this can wind up backfiring on you. A really low offer risks insulting an isolating your sellers, and it … Continue reading →

Don’t Do These Things Before Buying a Home!

If you are planning on a home purchase, there are certain things that you can do that might jeopardize your success in getting a qualifying mortgage or a good rate. As soon as you decide to house hunt, don’t do any of the following. Make a major purchase. You don’t want to affect your assets by making a major purchase. This could affect you in two way. First, it can add to your debt, which will affect your credit rating. And second, it can reduce your available assets, also affecting your credit or affecting the cash you might have for … Continue reading →

Spend as Little as Possible on Your Home

To really maximize your investment and improve your overall financial picture, you should actually spend as little as possible on your home. Instead of finding out the maximum your mortgage broker will allow you to borrow (as so many people do), you should figure out the minimum house that will satisfy your needs. Not only do homes in the lower price points tend to increase in value the most, they also allow you the most disposable income in reduced house payments. This additional money each month can be invested in more profitable endeavors, or simply allows you to live with … Continue reading →

The McMansion Phenomena

Recently, our city newspaper has been running all sorts of news stories about homeowners who are facing tough times because of their mortgage payments. Many families took advantage of the housing boom and bought big, taking out variable rate or interest only mortgages that are now about to change, increasing the mortgage payments far beyond what the homeowners may be able to pay. And they are panicking. While family size is decreasing in general, the size of houses are actually increasing. McMansions, one of my friends calls these places, seemingly complete with enough square footage to shelter several families. We … Continue reading →

Buying a House

When you begin looking for a new home, you might find youself a little overwhelmed. Not only are their lots of details that you may not be aware of (or may have forgotten if you purchased a home long ago) but the prices of homes may provide an overwhelming amount of “sticker shock.” If it’s been a while since you bought a home you may soon find that there’s a big difference in the value of homes today. That’s good news for you when you sell your existing home, but you may find that you can’t afford as much house … Continue reading →