Inland Empire Real Estate
Serving Home Buyers and Sellers in the Cities of
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Our 5-Step Home Purchase Plan
Step 3: Take a Closer Look
You’ve gotten pre-approved for a home loan with monthly payments that fit your budget and selected neighborhoods where you feel comfortable. The next step is to select homes for sale in your price range and in areas you like. You may see “For Sale” signs when you are checking out neighborhoods where you want to live. Call me, or wrote down the address of homes that you like from the outside so we can visit them.
You also can use our Instant Update service to identify available homes and get acquainted with local home prices. Since you already know you like the neighborhood, you can focus on the exterior appearance of each home.
If you like the pictures of a home you see online, drive by to see the exterior and how the house fits in the neighborhood. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but don’t tell the whole story. Landscaping doesn’t fare well without water and peeling paint often doesn’t stand out in photos. We’ve seen houses that looked very appealing in listing photos, but later were vandalized to the point that all the windows and doors were boarded up. The next-door neighbor may have turned his front yard into a free-spirited junk art gallery, or an auto repair shop. Check it out.
Drive around the neighborhood and locate the nearest supermarket, pay attention to, parks, schools, and other community features you identified in Step 2. Don’t forget you can use links on our website to get information.
Stop across the street from the house so you can get a full view of the property. Some things to look for:
Is the landscaping attractive or is the vegetation overgrown or neglected?
Is the driveway well-maintained or will it need to be resurfaced?
Is the garage door or siding damaged?
Is the paint peeling, or wood appear rotted?
How’s the roof? Is it in good condition, or will it soon need to be repaired or replaced?
Are gates, fences, walls in good condition?
If repairs are needed, are you prepared to invest the time, money, and energy to make this house a home you can be proud to show friends and family?
If you are ready to see the interior and backyard, call me. I’ll make an appointment with the sellers.
Step 4: Let’s Make an Appointment and See the Interior
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