Cara Christie, our own Rentals Manager, was quoted in the local newspaper (Nassau Guardian) in regards to what to expect when you begin the home buying process and how to make it easier for yourself.
Cara’s tips were as follows:
- “Despite what everyone is saying, [this year] will be a great year to purchase a new home – especially if it’s your first home. The government has really made it a lot easier for first time homeowners to buy a home and keep it. It’s just a matter of putting yourself in the position to take advantage of that.” Here, she’s referring to the increase in the stamp tax exemption for first time homebuyers to $500,000 (from $250,000) which will save you the additional 10% of the value of your home.
- “Before you start looking for a home the first thing you need to do is go to the bank and find out how much money you can qualify for, so that you [don’t] start looking at homes that are above your price range.”
- “Next, you need to find the right agent to work with. I always suggest working with one agent during the searching process because when you work with more than one, you don’t really develop the great working relationship that you would want. Do not start by believing that all real estate agents are the same and that they all hold a real estate license. That’s simply not true.”
- Also, once you have found a house, “it’s important that before you sign off on anything, that the house you want to be inspected inside and out by a contractor…you don’t want any huge surprises to pop up after you buy a home.”
- She says, “I personally see home ownership as an investment – however, if you can’t afford a home or can only afford the down payment only to be lost each month when it comes to the monthly expenses, then you’re not ready for a home. It’s important to be smart with your purchase. You really don’t want to buy something you can’t really afford, only to lose it within a year or two. When you buy a home it should be a long-term investment.”
We hope you find this information helpful, and as always, we are proud that one of our agents has been found to be a great resource for real estate knowledge!