Buyers Guide - House Hunting

What should I look for in a neighborhood?

Some neighborhoods speak loud and clear at first glance; the quality of life is apparent in its streets, parks, building, homes and yards. You get a feel for it (either for or against) just by looking.

As real estate professionals we can, of course, fill you in on community details not so obvious at first glance:

• Where schools, supermarkets, libraries, hospitals, places of worship, fire and police stations are located.
• What zoning regulations apply.
• What community services are available.
• What construction plans are in the offing.
• What shifts in transportation facilities are occurring.
• Whether home values have appreciated or depreciated.
• What tax rates prevail.

For a more intimate impression, you should walk around a neighborhood that looks attractive to you. Visit the schools your children will attend to confirm district boundaries and comparison with other schools. Talk with people at bus stops (ask about commuting schedules and costs), in shops (chat about where the best stores are), in parks (get folks talking about recreational programs), in front yards (ask what they like and dislike about the neighborhood). You might take digital photos as you tour different locales. They'll help you later when you want to keep different streets and homes separate in your mind. Also take notes to later compare, especially addresses and prices.

Inspection a neighborhood is as necessary as inspecting the home you may buy. An old real estate maxim says, "The best time to think about selling your home is when you're buying it." That's because location will be a prime factor influencing future buyers when it comes time to sell your home.

What features make one home style different from another?

Style preference involves personal taste, family needs and your budget. This section is designed to illustrate some of the most basic home styles. Space doesn't allow us to show the numerous variation and many other unique styles available in today's market; however the images on the right will give you a basic knowledge of home styles

	Colonial (New England, Federal, Dutch, etc.): A good separation of space in these roomy, two-story homes with center-front or side entries; living room, dining room, kitchen on one floor; bedrooms upstairs. Privacy is possible but stair-climbing is inevitable.
	Ranch(also "rambler"): Typically, one-story homes with bedrooms separated from living quarters and kitchen, often in wings. May or may not have a basement.
	Cape Cod: Cozy living in one-and-a-half story homes. Steep roof lines make slanted ceilings in upstairs rooms, which often have dormer windows. A good bet for handy buyers who can finish the upstairs by themselves if needed.
	Country (also "farm house"): Popular in both rural and suburban areas, this rustic one-and-one half or two-story style features simeple room arrangements, large kitchens and front porches.
	Split Level (also "trilevel," "four level"): Part of the home is two-story, joined to a one-story section by short flights of stairs, sometimes giving each room a floor of its own. Compact use of space and a good design for sloping property.
	Victorian: Unexpected nooks and crannies in older homes; modern adaptations of Victorian design use space more conservatively. Special features: wide porches, sometimes turrets and gingerbread trim.
	Contemporary: Out of the ordinary, often striking use of space in these homes that feature dramatic shapes and unorthodox use of materials (concrete, diagonally-slanted wood siding, glass, etc.).
	Townhouse (also "patio home," "row house"): Attached homes of a similar style (Colonial, Spanish, contemporary, etc.) share common walls, offer two or three floors of living space often comparable in size to detached homes. They feature small, easy-to-care-for yards. (Some duplex townhouses look like single-family homes, with the entry to one home at the center-front, to the other home at the side.)
	Condominium: Technically not a style, but a form of ownership. Condominiums can be townhouses, clustered units, low-rise (up to four stories), high-rise or even detached homes. You own both your private quarters and a share of common land and areas. A monthly condominium fee is charged to each owner for maintainance costs.

What should I specifically look for in a new home?

New home construction is changing all the time as builders try to adapt designs to today's lifestyles, make the most of living space and incorporate new technology, building materials and equipment, while keeping prices affordable. Buying a new home is attractive because everything's new, from floors to appliances. Energy efficiency (insulation, weather-stripping, energy-saving heating / cooling systems and electricity) is required by building codes. Buying a new home while it's under construction often lets you choose paint, wallpaper, tiling ,etc.

Newness itself is a virtual assurance that your maintenance costs will be predictable, and a builder's warranty (highly desirable) guarantees freedom from structural flaws.

Here are some of the signs of good construction to be checked out at the site:

• Good carpentry throughout (well-fitted windows and moldings, non-squeaking wood floors, even wall surfaces).
• Solid structure with sturdy support.
• Basement floors and walls that have no cracks or damp spots.
• Insulation that measures as advertised.
• Everything in good working order (faucets, heating/cooling systems, electrical outlets, etc.).
• A yard free of low, wet spots; grading that slopes away from the home for good drainage.

How do I evaluate a resale home?

Homes with a past have special appeal. An existing home is settled place (literally): the foundation, the landscaping, the neighborhood, including its services, are about where they're probably going to be for some time.

The home has a lived-in look. Some rooms may be larger than in new homes, woodwork has mellowed, the yard is a generous size. Its price may be lower (per square foot) and its financing possibilities more flexible than in new homes, especially if you can pick up an assumable mortgage.

The thing to be on the look-out for is wear-and-tear:

• How firm is the foundation?
• How sound are the sills, walls, floors, ceilings and roof?
• What kind of plumbing was installed, when?
• What's the shape and extent of the electrical system?
• What shape is the heating/cooling system in?
• What are monthly energy costs?
• How well does the insulation protect the indoors?
• What will it cost you to remodel if necessary (especially kitchen and baths) or to make necessary repairs?

If in doubt - or just for your peace of mind - you can hire a certified home inspector for a professional opinion.

What can I expect from a professional home inspection?

The job of a professional inspector is to look over every major part of a home, and write a report that judges the home's quality and condition.

A well-qualified building inspector who has adhered to federal licensing standards can spot problems that you might not be able to see or get to. However, it's wise for you to accompany the inspector so that you don't have to get the report secondhand. Expect problems to be clearly explained, repair expenses closely calculated, maintenance costs estimated and a written report delivered within a day or two. Remember you are buying a resale home; the price reflects the fact that nothing is new.

The territory covered by inspection includes:

Exterior: the foundation (for holes, cracks), the gutters and down spouts (for gaps in joints, sagging), siding (for warp), paint (for peeling, blistering), windows and doors (for cracks, loose caulking), roof (for worn or bald spots), chimney (for tilting, loose bricks or stones), driveways, retaining walls and walks (for holes, sagging, cracks), grounds (for proper grading and healthy landscaping).

Interior: general structure (for soundness, rot), floors and stairs (for speaking, shaking, bowing), plumbing system (for condition of pipes and fixtures, leaks, clogging), heating/cooling system(s) (for condition and capacity), electrical system (for age, condition, adequacy of voltage and outlets, proper grounding, signs of wear), insulation in walls, attic and basement (for thickness and efficiency), walls (for cracks, loose plaster, signs of leakage), kitchen (age and condition of appliances and plumbing).

What's the secret to making a good condominium buy?

Buying a condominium means, in most cases, buying amenities - neighborly lifestyle, sometimes complete with shopping, entertainment, playgrounds and/or sports facilities. Condominiums serve almost every possible kind of home buyer: singles, families with children, retired people. First-time buyers are particularly drawn to condominiums because of the amount of space available at a reasonable price.

Each condominium association has its own rules, and as a member of your community you help govern what can be done to the outside of units, whether or not pets are welcome, what landscaping and community improvements are made and what by-laws are passed or amended. Because the owners' association can spend for amenities or limit spending to save expense, it is important for you to know if existing owners are in tune with you financial position by check recent budgets.

Shopping for a condominium means looking for the same things you look for in buying any home: a neighborhood on the upswing (for maximum enjoyment and for appreciation possibilities), good construction (especially in sound-proofing of walls), good style and sound financing.

An agent knows the local condominium market and can assist you in evaluating the different communities, looking at sales contracts, maintenance charges and condominium management.

Planning Table to Settlement Table

You've now zeroed in on the home that's ideal for you. You've threaded your way through the maze of home and neighborhood choices and established your own financial affordability. This is it. You're ready to step over the line from house hunter to home buyer and to make the actual purchase of a particular home.