The Questions to Ask Before Buying

San Jose Real Estate Podcast with Linda Chu

When beginning a home search, you wanna narrow down what you’re looking for. Here are six things to determine before buying.

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Before you buy a home, there are a number of questions you should answer about the type of home you want to buy and where you want to buy it. Here are the riddles we recommend you solve first:
1. The neighborhood and surrounding area. What kind of place do you want to live in? Do you want to be within walking distance of amenities like restaurants or stores, or more spread out in a quiet area?
2. Is there new construction going on? If you’re buying a new home, that’s great. However, if it’s a newer neighborhood, you should know if there is any new construction ongoing in your neighborhood and how long it will be that way.
3. Do you want to live in a certain school district? If you’d like to live in an area with good schools for your children to attend, we’d be happy to provide you with a list of the best schools in the area. Even if you don’t have children, living in an area like this can have a significant impact on your home’s resale value.

It’s not always about just the house itself.

4. Meet with your lender and talk about payments. You should also discuss your utility bills and how much those are. There are a lot of different factors to look at when determining the affordability of the home.
5. What is the condition of the major systems in the home? There will be a lot of maintenance tests going on during the buying process. You want to set aside some money for repairs, or better yet, ask the seller to include a home warranty with the sale.
6. Look at the comparable homes. If a lot of homes in the area are selling quickly, it’s a good indication of positive resale value.
Sometimes it’s not just about the house itself, it's about the lifestyle you want to live and how the neighborhood affects those things. Regardless of when you plan on buying, make sure you pair up with the right Realtor so you can have a professional on your side to help you along.
If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.