HOUSE HUNTING
WHERE SHOULD YOU START?

Lenders can usually approve you for more than you can actually afford.  You need to sit down and figure out what payment you can afford and live with before you meet with a lender.

 

  *Choose a lender and get pre-approved - take in your w-2s, your asset statements, your paystubs.  Have your lender go over your credit score, ask questions about your credit report.  Even if you have imperfect credit I have tips on how to raise your credit score.

 

  *Go over your mortgage options.  Ask your lender about the different type of loans, one may be better suited for you than another.  You may not like risk and want a fixed loan whereas some people would rather have a lower payment and take the risk of the rate going up.   Ask about FHA Loans, biweekly programs, ARM loans, no money down loans, and buying points. 

 

  *Sit down or call Russ Ravary and tell him what you are looking for in a home, what cities, what specifications.

 

  *Have Russ Ravary your realtor send you emails of all homes that meet your needs and in your price range.  

 

  *Set up a time so Russ can take you out and show you homes that meet your needs and price.

 

  *Shop close to your price limit.

 

 

 

What city do you want to live in.  What subdivision.   Do you want to be close to the expressways or downtown?  How far is it from work, from family, from friends?

What size of home do you want?  How many Square feet?

How many of Bedrooms , How many of bathrooms, kitchen, basement, library, study, great room, family room, formal dining room, study, master bedroom, closet space. 

Fenced or open yard, pool, or community pool, how many car garage.  Is privacy important to you.  Do you want muture trees?

 

What style of house? Tudor, colonial, ranch, cape cod?  How many stories?  Don't want to walk stairs?  Need a first floor laundry?  Want all the bedrooms on the same floor?  How old of a home would you like?  Do you want the character of an old home or do you want a home less than 5 years old?  What type of floor plan do you want?  An open layout or do you like the quaint rooms of a victorian home?  What type of street or neighborhood do you want?  With lots of kids, a cul de sac, at the back of the sub, close to the bus stop? 

What condition of home do you want?  Are you a handyman and want a fixer upper?  Or do you want to just move in and do nothing?  How much updating do you want to do?  How much money do you want to spend fixing it up to your specifications?  How much money do you have in reserves?

What will you have to do immediately when you buy this home?  What will make this house livable to you?  What will be the total cost to do this?

 

 

Schools , school district, meap scores.  Do they meet your requirements?  How close are neighborhod parks and recreation areas.  Is there place of worship close by that you want to attend?  

 

Commute time to work, and family and friends is important.  Take a ride during rush hour and during off times.  

 

Visit the house at dark, and different times during the day.  Stand outside and listen and look.  by visiting the house during different times of the day you learn about the neighborhood.

 

Appreciation , consistent with neighborhood

 

Does the lot give value to the house, or is it a negative.  Compare that to other values in the neighbor hood.  Is it in a flood zone? 

 

What are the taxes?  What is the Mileage rate? , electric bills

 

What is the cost of homeowners insurance?  Is the city you are buying in more expensive because of crime rates?

 

Does a home warranty come with it?

 

What are the ages of major items roof, a/c, furnace, windows?  Read the sellers disclosure carefully and ask questions you do not have answers to.

 

 

Always remember when and if you sell , how will others view your home . This is especially true if you plan to stay on several years.  So think twice about homes with only 2 bedrooms, with small square foootage, on or close to main roads, with no basement or garage.  

Think now about resale when you are buying.  It will make you a smarter buyer. 

 

What stays with the house?  What goes?

 

There is no perfect home.  You most likely will never find a home that has absolutely everything that you want and need.  What you need to do is to make a list of what you want.  What you must have and what you would like to have.  My job is to help you find the home that suits you best at a good value.  A home that you want, that you love, and that meets as many of your expectations as possible.   We do find homes that have everything some people want, sometimes we even find homes that are beyond the expectation of what you want.  I want to help you find a home that you will love to live in, have a place that great memories will come from, and that you can spend years with family and friends enjoying life.  That is what is important.

 

 

Finally have Russ Ravary go over all the solds in the area and compare what you are buying to what has sold in the sub, in the area, and in the city.  Be a smart buyer!

 

Find Lakefront Homes For sale on Big Lake in Springfield MI & market data

Cedar Island Lake

Check out Sugden Lake sales

A lake to consider moving to... Tommys Lake

Watch this Cass Lake Video