Important Things to Know Before Buying a Home

General planning. A few things you have to ponder on: Are the terms of payment pocket-friendly? Is the house equipped with phone lines, well installed electricity, potable water, cable facilities, and proper drainage? Is there any chance of a Gang lurking in the “hood”? Is it near vital institutions like schools, hospital, church, and markets? Or would you have to slug through an hour-long traffic to buy a box of milk?

Think long-term. Sooner or later your abode will have to be sold. So make sure that the elements there are of the general interest, or at least could easily removed for easy resale in the future.

“How old are you?” Since the pricing is normally based on the lot, the house should not be too pricey because of depreciation. An old house, especially if not well maintained, should not be priced at all.You should always ask how old the house is.

When buying a condo, make sure to read through a copy of the administrator’s policies to see early on if you can comply with the rules.

Don’t believe everything you hear from real estate brokers. If possible, consult your soon-to-be neighbors on how’s it like to live in the area. Sounding too much like a  CIDG operative might scare them off, through, so, ask politely.

Pick the the best loan program. When using a housing loan, choose the financing institution that offers the best borrower-oriented deal. Don’t be blinded by “Special” offers.

Monitor the building progress. Keeping as close eye on the construction course enables you to spot mistakes before the worst things happens—like your roof shaking and falling to bits during an earthquake due to faulty structure.

Buying a secondhand house? Go to the registry of Deeds and get a certified true copy of the title to make sure the property is not mortgaged. For unpaid tax, go to the local assessor’s/treasurer’s office and get a certification that the property is updated on its realty tax payment.”

Do a soil check. Investigate if: 1) the soil the house is built on is suited for human habitation; and 2) the soil and the surroundings are potential headquarters of termites, because once they’re in it will cause you a fortunes to kill them buggers!