Buying a Home You'll Love for the Long Haul

Buying a home is like falling in love. 

It might have been love at first sight or maybe it took one or two dates, but do you remember what it was like to find that special one and fall in love.  You might feel the same way when you're buying a home.  You see several possibilities, listen to a few friends and then all of the sudden, you find the right one--your dream home.

Buying a house is a big undertaking. For most people, their home is their largest personal investment.  Buying a home is filled with big expectations and without due diligence, there can be big disappointments.

It is important to look deeper into buying a house to make sure you'll love for the long haul.  Take into consideration the following questions to find your happily ever after:

• Will the house serve your current and future needs?
  The house may be fine for you as a young couple or even as a single person but will it be enough a few years from now when you have a family? According to mortgage information site HSH.com, the most common complaint from home buyers is inadequate space with 80 percent of buyers registering this complaint.
  
  Take measurements of the space you currently have in your closet, bedroom, living room, kitchen and other key areas. Then, take those of the house you are planning to buy. If the new purchase won't give you significantly more space, you could soon be grumbling about not having enough space in your new home.

• Are you buying in a controlled development area?
  Find out whether you are buying in a controlled development area. If it is, you are sure that you won't see someone put up a pub or other development that would be a nuisance in the area.

• Who did the home inspection?
  Don't forego a home inspection because you are buying a house in the same neighborhood as someone you know and the houses are all alike. The houses may all be the same but one may have problems that another doesn't. One home could have problems with the HVAC, a leaky basement, dry rot in the joists or other problem that another house that does not have.
  
  Homebuyers are entitled to an inspection once a seller accepts their offer. Some buyers opt to forego an inspection because they are trying to buy in a strong seller's market which is not advisable.
  
  You also want to do some homework on the company that does the home inspection. Ideally, it should be done by an independent company that is not attached to a buying or selling company.

• What kind of neighbors can you expect to find?
  You can't know what kind of neighbors you will get and you can't control that. However, you can buy into particular neighborhoods and avoid others. Broadly speaking, there are those that have good reputations and that are inhabited by a particular class of people such as the suburbs. Then they are neighborhoods that are known for insecurity that you want to avoid.

• Are the amenities you need nearby?
  Another check you want to make before committing to buying a house is whether the amenities you need are close by. You want to check that there are good schools nearby and if you have young ones or are planning for them, a good child care facility.

• How far will you need to commute?
  If you will be commuting to work every day, you don't want a long commute that will make your day even longer. You don't want to have to leave so early in the morning and get home late because of a long commute.

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