What are the Top 5 Questions Homebuyers Ask?
A couple of years ago, the National Association of Realtors® sent out a compilation of answers to the most-often posed questions home buyers have for their agents. Oklahoma City home buyers do sometimes come up with these. Here’s the NAR list, its answers—and a few brief observations:
“How much can I afford?” The answer depends on your personal financial details, which are easy to determine—just search for “house affordability calculator.” Avoid the “ad” entries at the top of the screen; most of them make you surrender your personal info before they will display the answer.
“Can I buy a home and sell mine simultaneously?
Yes, there are several ways to do this via offer contingencies. Alternatively, some sellers decide to rent while finding and securing a new home.
“What do you think the seller will accept?” The NAR’s suggestion is “knocking 5% off the list price.” Since every situation is different, I think a more precise recommendation would be to take the seller’s profile and recent market comps into account (and don’t forget your agent’s input)!
“Should I demand a home inspection?” Simply, ‘yes.’ When a property seems for all the world to have been perfectly maintained, it can be tempting to just speed past that inspection “technicality.” But don’t do it: the report your seasoned Oklahoma City inspector produces will be well worth the cost and time invested. You might find yourself reviewing its details for years to come.
“How late in the process can I back out?” If you change your mind without a reason, you’ll probably lose your deposit money. But a well-constructed offer should contain provisions covering the reasonable grounds for abandoning a purchase—usually relating to inspection findings or loan terms.
If I know one thing about serious Oklahoma City homebuyers, it’s that they’ll have a lot more questions before they’ve zeroed in on their new home. Fortunately, I’m here to field all questions as they arise. Call me anytime!
