Guide For First-Time Home Buyers

When searching for that perfect home, do not let your emotions cloud your real estate decisions. You must be able to evaluate a real estate investment objectively.

One common mistake of many first-time real estate buyers is to not get the real estate inspected before purchasing. In addition, it is not enough to simply have the home inspected--it should be done by a certified professional, and any inspection reports should be reviewed personally for completeness and accuracy.

Second, do not let a current home's decorations and furnishings cloud your ability to accurately judge the real estate. Remember that all these little niceties will disappear when the current owner vacates, so be sure to picture the real estate empty or with your own furniture in place. In addition, once all the current owner's belongings have been removed from the home, do another walkthrough of the real estate.

Third, do not settle on the first satisfactory home that you see. Even if the second real estate property you see is great, continue to see more. Experts recommend that potential real estate buyers view at least eight to ten homes before making a bid.

Finally, do not expect anything to be written in stone. Closing dates and other types of expectations can often be recalculated depending upon the needs of the current owners. However, at the same time, keep in mind that unless something is in writing, it is not legitimate.

We wanted to establish a bit of extra income. There was a good recommendation about ImmediateAnnuities.com on CNN. We also liked that we could see excellent reviews about them on Google. They were very thorough from our first inquiry to when we decided to buy our annuity from Mass Mutual. They always answered our questions promptly and followed up with the insurance company, too. We have been receiving our monthly payments since last November and couldn’t be happier. What more can we say?

Keith and Samantha Isley

Read 650+ verified reviews