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Know Your Price Range.
You don’t want to fall in love with a house you can’t afford, so line up a pre-approval with your mortgage lender well before your house-hunting weekend, suggests Suzy Minken, real estate agent at Keller Williams Realty in Short Hills, NJ.
“Your mortgage lender will advise you about the different options available, as well as the price range you qualify for, so you only spend time seriously considering houses that you can afford,” Minken says.
A pre-approval also shows sellers that you’re a serious buyer, which can make a huge difference when you are making an offer in a tight market.
Do Your Research Online.
Think you have to be in the house to know how it flows? Think again, Minken says. With today’s online interactive tours, much of the leg work in house hunting can be done before you even step inside.
In addition to checking out online photos and tours, obtain a copy of the floor plan, which is often provided online with the property listing. This will show the room sizes and window locations, as well as where rooms are situated and how the house flows.
“For example, you can see whether the living room is disconnected from the rest of the house, such as off a foyer, and if there are two entrances into the room, which is ideal from a design perspective,” she says.
You want to make sure the house and those surrounding it have curb appeal, so go online to Google Street View to check out how well the neighborhood is maintained and what you will see from your front window.
Feel free to contact Ms. Minken at 908-239-9261 or [email protected] for more information.
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