Buying a house for whatever reason should be a fun and exciting time.  Open houses are an enjoyable event.  You may even visit three or four different homes in one day.  There are special things to look for when going to see these houses.  An open house is used to check the market and let potential buyers window-shop.  There are certain criteria you have in mind when searching for the perfect home.  Jot those ideas down and compare them to the homes you view.

Take a notepad with you to each house and make a note of the address of the homes you visit. Jot down things you like and dislike about each house. This will help you keep track of which house is which.  Make note of nearby schools, the general neighborhood, how close is freeway access, where are the shopping malls, and any other information that will help you decide on your choice of home. The commute to work is a vital piece of information.  Many forget to consider how far away the job is.  The last thing a person wants to do is spend too much time on the road instead of with the family.  When attending an open house, remember that the neighborhood surroundings are an important aspect to purchasing a house.

Check the condition of the house, the road and the yard.  Is it suitable of children or pets?  Who will take care of the yard or can you hire a gardener?  Whatever you desire, be sure to think of everything and take plenty of notes.  A poloroid camera is well worth taking. Clip instant snapshots to your notebook to help you remember specific houses. Buying a house is an important step, so make sure you know what to look for.  Check everything.   Notice cabinets, appliances, doors and even views out of the windows.  Listen to noises that could be bothersome, such as a train that passes near by or a freeway. Make sure there is plenty of living space or room to add more if you desire.  Most people forget to ensure there is enough closet and storage room.  Write down vital pieces of information which should include anything that will help you with your decision.

At the open house, an owner or broker is likely to be present. If there is one in attendance, ask questions.  Find out all the little secrets about the house.  Granted they will not always be straightforward.  Have a memo of each inquiry.  Put in writing all the answers.  When you make the choice on a house you can add these questions into the sales contact and re-ask the query.  If these replies differ in the writing stage you may not want to do business with these people after all.  All homes have concealed facts.  Some are not real terrible but others can be horrendous.  Interrogating the owner or broker is an ideal way to find out things that are not visible.  Do not be shy about wanting to know how your dream home is really shaped.

Many times, several brokers, lenders or agents frequent open houses.  They want your business as soon as you step foot onto the property.  Do not sign anything.  Even if this were the house you would like to purchase.  On sight people have one agenda, to sell you something.  Usually the brokers who visit many different open houses will try and get you to view other properties.  Which is fine, however they do not know anything about your wishes of the home you want.  The mortgage lenders may try to sell you a different house at a better rate.  However, in the end it is more likely you will end up paying more.  At the stage of an open house it is most probable you are playing the field.

Going to an open house is a time-honored tradition.  Open houses are for looking and sometimes even buying.  With an important and expensive decision to make, it is better to research and look at all of your options.  When venturing upon an open house, understand all the choices offered.  Try not to be persuaded in making rash decisions.  You have the option of looking, taking those important notes, returning to look some more, and even moving on if this house is not for you.

It has been said that moving and divorce are the two of the most stressful events a person or family can experience. Divorce is a subject for another time. Let’s consider the event of moving and look at some ways to make your house hunting trip less stressful and more effective.

Location is the first factor to consider when planning a move. If you have children, or are planning a family, you will want to know about the schools in the area. How about shopping centers, medical facilities, recreational opportunities and of course how far will you be from your place of employment. If you require public transportation, is there any within walking distance of your prospective new home. What about the crime rate? A check with the local law enforcement agency can either put your mind at ease or give you reason to look elsewhere. And finally, try to assess the quality and character of the people who live in the area. This is obviously difficult to do without interviewing them, but you can get a rough impression from the condition of their homes and properties and from the activities you might observe. As an example, if your prospective neighbor has discarded appliances all over the front yard and their son is roaring around the neighborhood on a mini-bike with no muffler, you might want to take all that into consideration. And remember, a poor location will definitely be a negative factor when and if you attempt to resell the home at some later date.

Once you’ve zeroed in on your preferred location, you can start to think seriously about searching for your dream home. Rather than spin your wheels by looking at houses randomly, you should determine what you really want in a house and let those things help you focus your search. Make a list and start with the obvious: how many bedrooms do you need; do you want a garage; must you have a single story home due to your inability to climb stairs; is a fenced yard an absolute necessity? After listing the absolute “must haves”, think about the things you like and dislike about your current residence and factor those things into your wish list. Making a list will not only save you time, it will be a big help to your realtor in planning your viewings.

Most people don’t really know how much house they can afford. Affordability is based upon income, credit status, interest rates, down payment, closing costs and the type of loan selected. By getting pre-qualified by a lending institution, you will know what you can afford to spend. Often, that figure is quite a surprise to prospective home buyers. In any case, pre-qualification will save you time and trouble by establishing your price range.

Typically, house hunting involves seeing as many homes as possible in a short period of time. Both the house hunter and the assisting realtor have busy schedules and want to tour fast and furious. However, after the first two or three houses, they all start to run together. You need to make notes after each viewing. One effective means of qualifying each home is to make multiple copies of your list of priorities and use it as a checklist to grade each home visited. This little tip will eliminate confusion when trying to make mental comparisons at the end of the day.

Regard your hunt as an excursion. If you were going to the zoo for the day and contemplated a lot of walking, you would dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes. House hunting is no different; you’ll be walking, climbing stairs, quite possibly going into basements and attics and constantly getting in and out of cars. Dressing to impress homeowners or your realtor should not be your top priority. Dress clean and neat of course, but comfortable is the name of the hunting game.

And last but not least, use your own realtor. When you call the realtor on a “house for sale” sign you’re speaking to the seller’s agent. Keep in mind that he or she represents the seller and will be looking after the seller’s interests. You need your own realtor; someone who is working for you and is looking out for your interests.

House hunting can actually be an enjoyable experience if you take your time and do your homework.

Buying a home is a significant investment. A title insurance policy helps you protect that investment against potential losses that may occur after your house deal closes and you discover that someone else has an ownership claim to the property.

It may seem unlikely that such a scenario could play out, but it is a surprisingly common occurrence – frequent enough to make purchasing a title insurance policy a good idea to safeguard your investment.

When you buy a home, your lawyer or legal representative will conduct a title search (also called a title examination) to determine ownership of the property in question. A title search involves collecting and examining, in detail, all of the public records that involve the title to the property you are purchasing. The search may include past deeds, wills, trusts or other liens against the property to ensure that it has passed properly from owner to owner. The person conducting the search will also attempt to confirm that all previous mortgages and judgements involving the property have been fully paid.

Most times, your title search will come back clear. On occasion, however, a ‘cloud’ or ‘defect’ such as a missing signature will be detected, and while the defect is likely the result of an administrative error, it should be cleared before your deal is completed. A thorough title search should also reveal nuisance issues such as easements that may affect your interest in purchasing the property. Easements or right of ways may not present an immediate problem, but could adversely affect the property in the future.

Title searches are helpful in identifying any potential title-related issues relating to your property, but mistakes happen (in the public records themselves, as opposed to just mistakes on the part of your examiner), and you may find yourself involved in a legal battle in the future if a title conflict does come to light after the close of your house deal. That’s where title insurance comes into play; if you have a title insurance policy, your legal fees will be paid if you are forced to go to court, and if you lose the property as a result of a title dispute, you will be reimbursed up to the limit of your policy.

Similar to other types of insurance, title insurance policies do have certain exclusions, so it is important to clarify what your policy covers and what it does not. Some title insurance policies, for example, do not cover, or have limited coverage of problems related to easements, liens or mineral rights. Shop around if you want greater coverage and are willing to pay extra for it. No matter which policy you purchase, defects that occurred after you bought the property are not covered by title insurance.

Now that you have a better idea of what title insurance is and how it is used, do you need it? Maybe. If you pay cash for your property and do not require a mortgage, you may choose whether or not you want to purchase title insurance for your own protection. If, however, you are obtaining a mortgage to finance your house purchase your lender will likely insist on title insurance coverage to protect its own interests in the event of a title dispute. Your lender may also stipulate additional coverage to guard your portion of the home’s value. Policies vary by insurance carrier, but generally, a lender’s policy is for the amount of the mortgage and is payable to the lender in the event of a lost dispute while an owner’s policy covers the full cost of the property plus legal fees. An issue to consider when purchasing title insurance is whether your policy includes inflation riders that will increase the amount of your coverage as your property value rises. You may pay a premium for this service.

Home buyers are usually responsible for the cost of title insurance, but may defray the charge by including title coverage as a condition of sale or by having the seller’s policy adjusted and transferred to the buyer’s name. Additionally, some states may require the seller to pay some or all of the title insurance costs, which are typically paid in full as part of your property’s closing costs. Ask your legal representative to outline your responsibilities and the seller’s responsibilities.

The fine print on your mortgage papers is incredibly important to read because if you don’t you may find yourself in a predicament that you really don’t want to be in. You should read every page of the fine print and take as much time as you need to do it. This way you know you are not getting anything more than what you want. In the end it could save you a lot of time and money. Below are some of the things you should look out for while reading the fine print on your mortgage papers.

Balloon payment: you should look for this in your mortgage fine print if your loan isn’t that of a balloon loan. Sometimes the lenders will put this is your fine print when it really isn’t meant to be there. A balloon payment is when you pay only the interest on your loan and nothing off of your actual principal. This keeps the repayments small and most customers are pleased with this, until they discover the need of a balloon payment at the end. Paying off a large balloon payment is often impossible to do and can cause you to lose your home. So when checking the fine print, make sure a balloon payment is not in your fine print so you won’t be caught with any surprises and an incredibly large payment.

Note: You should always be aware for the terms stated in the note. The note is usually where they state if you have not paid your repayment in a certain amount of days the lender has the right to sell your home and you are liable for anything else like extra fees and the banks also has the right to take any of your assets and finances if you do not make your payment.

Notice: you should read this part of your fine print very carefully. This part of the document will tell you how much notice you will receive if you haven’t paid your repayment, sometimes it will tell you that you will receive no notice. Make sure you remember to send your payment if you go on a holiday. Send your payment early so you will not have to worry about your check getting lost in the mail. The best way around this problem is to see if you can send you payment via wire transfer so you know it is going exactly where it is meant to be. Also another thing you should look out for in the notice section is whether or not you have time to make up for the missed payment or whether it will just take action on the preceding of foreclosure.

Acceleration: this clause gives the lender the right to speed up the time when your mortgage loan is due and has the right to ask for the full amount due on your loan straight away if you miss a repayment. Also you should look for what notice they will give you in the event that this happens because sometimes it is said to give no notice.

Extra fees: always look out for any extra fees that you do not recognize when reading your mortgage fine print so you do not get hit with these fees that you are not aware of.

Another thing that you should look out for when reading your mortgage papers fine print is to make sure that everything is as it is agreed upon. Be sure that all of the closing fees, interests and other such terms are the same as first agreed upon.

Reading your mortgage paper’s fine print can be a big job but it is incredibly important one. You need to know what you are signing and agreeing to. While reading, take as long as you like and don’t let anyone pressure you into moving the process along. If you are confused about any of the terms stipulated in the fine print or have any questions then go ahead and ask them. Get a clear definition of what all terms mean and what they are all about. Also don’t be afraid to get another person to look the fine print over, like a trusted friend or your lawyer to see what they think. They may be able to point out something that you missed. It is better to be safe than sorry.

If you are a first time homebuyer or are in the low to moderate income range, buying a home listed through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is an appealing option.  HUD homes are actually available to anyone who can qualify for a mortgage. Although they are popular with lower income families, they are also appropriate for savvy consumers looking for a great deal.  HUD also has special purchase programs for educators and law enforcement officers, which may qualify them for discounts up to 50%. 

If you have fallen on hard times or have less than stellar credit, you may still be able to purchase a home with government assistance.  There are several government programs available to those in need. You can go over your alternatives with a HUD funded housing counseling agency. 

In order to find a HUD home, go to your state’s HUD website.  You will be able to browse the available homes.  When you find a home you like, you should find a HUD approved real estate office to show you the property.  The agency’s website will have a list of approved offices.  Contact them so that they can set you up with an agent.  When you meet with an agent, the process is much like buying any home.  You want to lay out your wants and needs so that the agent knows what you are looking for in a home.  Pictures may not be enough to base your decision on, so you need to have an open dialogue with the agent.

The home buying process is a little different for HUD homes than it is for a regular listing.  If a homeowner with a HUD insured mortgage cannot make the payments, the home is auctioned off after the lender forecloses.  HUD pays the lender for what is owed on the property and takes ownership of the home.  These homes are sometimes auctioned off for less than the appraised market value.  This is why such great deals can be found on HUD homes.  The auction is considered the “offer period”.  Everyone places their bids and the highest bidder gets the house.  You can submit a bid at any time if the house isn’t sold in the offer period.  If HUD approves your bid, your agent will be contacted within 48 hours. 

In the event that your bid wins, your agent will help you with the paperwork. Your settlement date will usually fall within 30-60 days of your winning bid.  It is important to remember that you cannot finance a home through HUD. You need to have your own financing arrangements.  Have everything ready to go at the time you place your bid.   If your bid wins, but you do not close, you may lose your deposit. 

If the home is in need of repairs, the responsibility falls on the buyer.  HUD homes are sold “as is” and do not come with a warranty. HUD will not make the repairs because the price of the home is always adjusted downward to reflect the cost of repairs.  Don’t consider buying a HUD home unless you are willing to absorb the cost of repairs.  The repairs might be minor, so don’t turn your back on good home because it needs a little work.  Before looking for homes, you should determine what your repair threshold is and stick to that.  Some like the challenge of it and others would prefer to keep repairs to a minimum.  It is important to have the home inspected prior to making an offer so that you can figure the cost of repairs into your bid.

If you are purchasing a HUD home for real estate investing, you should be aware that you cannot bid during the initial offering.  Families in need of housing take priority; therefore, the initial offering is only available to buyers with the intent to live in the home.  If no one bids on the home, investors can then place their bids.

If a foreclosure cannot be sold within 6 months, HUD will then sell them to charities or agencies for the purpose of providing housing for needy families.  Either way, the homes are likely going to those individuals that need them the most.