Tips For Buying a Home in Rock Hill, South Carolina From Century 21 First Choice in Fort Mill

There are many things to consider when buying a home in Rock Hill and you want to make sure you get the most for your money. This is why it’s important to take the process seriously and let the professionals at Century 21 First Choice help you with all the information you will need in making your new home purchase.  With many years of experience in the Rock Hill Real Estate Market the Pete Hall Real Estate team knows exactly what to expect when buying a home. The learning curve can be steep, but here are a few tips that will help make the process go more smoothly.

Preparing a Checklist: Whether you are a first-time buyer or an experienced owner, buying a house requires some homework. You will need to know what you can afford and what city or neighborhood you want to live in. Look for signs of economic vitality: a mixture of young families and older couples, low unemployment and good incomes. Try to also get an idea about the real estate market in the area. For example, if homes are selling close to or even above the asking price, that shows the area is desirable. If you have the flexibility, consider doing your house hunt in the off-season -- meaning, generally, the colder months of the year. You'll have less competition and sellers may be more willing to negotiate. Be wary of choosing search criteria that are too restrictive. For example, select a price range 10% above and 10% below your true range and add a 10-mile cushion to the location you specify.

Making an Offer: -Your opening bid should be based on two things: what you can afford (because you don’t want to outbid yourself), and what you really believe the property is worth. Make your opening bid something that’s fair and reasonable and isn’t going to totally offend the seller. A lot of people think they should go lower the first time they make a bid. It all depends on what the market is doing at the time. You need to look at what other homes have gone for in that neighborhood and you want to get an average price per square foot. Sellers respect a bid that is an oddball number and are more likely to take it more seriously.

Give Your House a Physical: Hire a home inspector. It’ll cost about $200 but could end up saving you thousands. A home inspector’s sole responsibility is to provide you with information so that you can make a decision as to whether or not to buy. It’s really the only way to get an unbiased third-party opinion. If the inspector does find any issues with the home, you can use it as a bargaining tool for lowering the price of the home. It’s better to spend the money up front on an inspector than to find out later you have to spend a fortune.

Don’t Time The Market: Don’t obsess with trying to time the market and figure out when is the best time to buy. Trying to anticipate the housing market is impossible. The best time to buy is when you find your perfect house and you can afford it. Real estate is cyclical, it goes up and it goes down and it goes back up again. So, if you try to wait for the perfect time, you’re probably going to miss out.

Closing the Deal: Review it carefully. It will include things like the cost of title insurance that protects you and the lender from any claims someone may make regarding ownership of your property. The cost of title insurance varies greatly from state to state but usually comes in at less than 1% of the home's price. The actual closing is often somewhat anticlimactic. It's a ritual affair, with customs that differ by state. Your real estate agent can brief you on the particulars.

When you are considering buying a home in Rock Hill let The Century 21 First Choice Team  answer any questions you may have. (803) 548-3551