By: Puja McKernan
Believe it or not, there are plenty of reasons people favor renting over buying. I loved renting for the simple fact that it was worry-free–no yard work, no expensive maintenance, no property taxes, no water bill, no commitment!
Yet it seemed everyone had a reason why it’s better to buy–investing your money instead of “throwing it away,” living in a home that reflects your personal style, having your own garden and throwing backyard barbecues were a few that stood out. Ultimately, I was convinced (by my husband and everyone else I knew) that owning was the way to go.
With our lease ending in a few months, we started the process. We knew the important things that needed to get done. We determined what we could afford, set an overall budget, came up with a down payment and got pre-approved for a loan, among other things (some of the stuff we can help you with Quizzle right now!).
With that settled, I began my house hunting on my own, with the help of the internet, without the intention to hire a real estate agent. Keep in mind this was well before I worked at In-House Realty and knew better!
Due to my over-confidence and inexperience, situations came into play that I didn’t anticipate. My husband and I worked long hours, which left only the weekends to look for homes. Searching through property listings was fun in the beginning, but calling on them to set up a showing, or worse, to find that the house had already been sold turned out to be very frustrating.
I’m also a lackluster bargainer. I can only last so long playing the stone-faced, tough-sell before giving up. It’s not that I would want to pay more than I should; it’s just that I don’t have it in me to keep that game going.
Finally, in regards to the process as a whole, I was intimidated. Not only by the pure anxiety of making the largest purchase of my life, but by all of the other things that go along with it–the endless paperwork, the inspections, research into the areas I liked and the sincerity of the seller, just to name a few. All of this together was yet another why I loved my life as a care-free renter. I was scared.
In the end, I decided to work with an agent. It just made me feel more at ease. My agent had gone through this process so many times before–she was a professional. She knew what all the acronyms meant–CMA, FSBO, PV, PW, OBO, PUD and the rest. I knew a few, but there were plenty of acronyms and other vital specifics that I didn’t know when looking for a home. It’s like they have their own language!
The home-buying process isn’t necessarily scary for everyone. There are a ton of resources online to walk you through it – you can even find a simple 7-step process right now from Quicken Loans.
They key is to make sure you’re armed with the knowledge you need to make the best decisions, get the best deal and avoid costly mistakes. For me, that required bringing someone in for reinforcement. Finding an expert you really feel you can trust will take all the worries out of big financial decisions like buying a home. If you decide to go with an agent or not, do your research and surround yourself with seasoned experts. In-House Realty is a great place to start to find out if buying a home is right for you.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a great place to mention that we’re working on some wonderful new bits for buyers in Quizzle. Stay tuned and we’ll let the cat out of the bag as soon as we put the finishing touches on!
