Phoenix Home Buyer’s Beware
No matter which way you look at it, buying a Phoenix home is a major investment. But for many homebuyers, it can be an even more expensive process than it needs to be because many fall prey to at least a few of the many common and costly mistakes which trap them into either:
- Paying too much for the home they want
- Losing their dream home to another buyer
- Buying the wrong home for their needs.
A systemized approach to the home buying process can help you steer clear of these common traps, allowing you to not only cut costs, but also secure the home that’s best for you and your family. Here we discuss the 9 common and most costly of these North Phoenix home buyer traps, how to identify them, and what you can do to avoid them.
1. Bidding Blind…
What price should you offer when you bid on a home? Is the seller’s asking price too high, or does it represent a great deal? If you fail to research the market in order to understand what comparable homes in Phoenix are selling for, making your offer would be like bidding blind. Without this knowledge of market value, you could easily bid too much, or fail to make a competitive offer at all on an excellent value.
2. Buying the Wrong Home…
What are you looking for in a North Phoenix home? A very simple question, but the answer can be quite complex. More than one buyer has been swept up in the emotion and excitement of the home buying process only to find themselves the owner of a home that is either too big or too small. Maybe they’re stuck with a longer than desired commute to work, or a dozen more fix-ups than they really want to deal with now that the excitement has died down. Take the time upfront to clearly define your wants and needs. Put it in writing and then use it as a yard stick with which to measure every home in Phoenix you look at.
3. Unclear Title…
Make sure very early in the negotiation process that you will own your new North Phoenix home free and clear by having a title search completed. The last thing you want to discover when you’re in the back stretch of a transaction is that there are encumbrances on the property such as tax liens, undisclosed owners, easements, leases or the like.
4. Inaccurate Survey…
As a part of your offer to purchase, make sure you request an updated property survey which clearly marks your boundaries. If the survey is not current, you may find that there are structural changes that are not shown (e.g. additions to the house, a new swimming pool, a neighbor’s new fence which is extending a boundary line, etc.). Be very clear on these issues.
5. Undisclosed Fix-ups…
Don’t expect every seller to own up to every physical detail that will need to be attended to. Like you, the sellers will be looking out for themselves. Ensure that you conduct a thorough inspection of the home early in the process. Consider hiring an independent inspector to objectively view the home inside and out, and make the final contract contingent upon this inspector’s report of any item that needs to be fixed with associated and approximate cost.
6. Not Getting Mortgage Preapproval…
Getting a Pre-approval is fast, easy and free. When you have a pre-approved mortgage, you can shop for your home with a greater sense of freedom and security, knowing that the money will be there when you find the North Phoenix home of your dreams.
7. Contract Misses…
If a seller fails to comply to the letter of the contract by neglecting to attend to some repair issues, or changing the spirit of the agreement in some way, this could delay the final closing and settlement. Agree ahead of time on a dollar amount for an escrow fund to cover items that the seller fails to follow through on. Prepare a list of agreed issues, walk through them, and check them off one by one.
8. Hidden Costs…
Make sure you identify and uncover all costs – large and small -far enough ahead of time. When a transaction closes, you will sometimes find fees for this or that sneaking through after the “sub”- total – fees such as loan disbursement charges, underwriting fees etc. Understand these in advance by having your lender project total charges for you in writing.
9. Rushing the Closing…
Take your time during this critical part of the process, and insist on seeing all paperwork the day before you sign. Make sure this documentation perfectly reflects your understanding of the transaction, and that nothing has been added or subtracted. Is the interest rate right? Is everything covered? If you rush this process on the day of closing, you may run into a last minute snag that you can’t fix without compromising the terms of the deal, the financing, or even the sale itself.