• Home-Buyer's Checklist
'Remember, the only thing you can rely on to remain constant is change.' - Heraclitus
Using a Home-Buyer's checklist when going through the house buying process will help ensure that your dream home becomes a reality. The Home Buyers' list serves several functions, not the least of which is to remind you of what you need for purchase and closing. You should have already made an estimate of how much money you'll need in addition to your down payment after determining what you want in a future home. You can use this Home Buyer's Checklist as a guide to prepare yourself before stepping onto the market. The Home-Buying Checklist's usefulness doesn't end with the closing table. The Home-Buyer's Checklist will be used throughout your home ownership to remind you of what needs repair or replacement on an annual basis, which comes next on our Home buyers list.
• Home Inspection
While it's not possible for anyone to see all the nooks and crannies in a house, obtaining a Home Inspector is vital if you want to know everything that could go wrong with the new place. You hope everything will be perfect when you close that door on your new home, but how can you know for sure? A Home Inspector removes any mystery surrounding what condition the inside of your new house is in. Make sure that whoever inspects the Home does so with Home standards in mind, not the Home Inspector's personal preferences. How a Home Inspector performs his inspection can make a difference too. A Home Inspection should be done with an approved Home Inspection Standards Organization (AHI) to ensure quality and accuracy. You can find more information on what to look for or ask about on our Home Inspectors page.
• Title Insurance
Title Insurance protects you from any loss of money invested in your Home as a direct result of claims against the Title by parties other than yourself. There are certain things that the seller of the Home is responsible for disclosing , which you can read about at Disclosure Requirements including errors and omissions in transfer documents, ownership interests, easements, covenants, restrictions, encroachments, rights-of-way, zoning violations and other matters that could affect your Home . If you find out about any of these Home disclosures after the Home purchase has closed then the Home seller may be responsible for expenses to bring Home into compliance with Home Standards or to otherwise resolve issues. If you are purchasing a Home built before 1978 for which there is no building permit on file , it should be inspected by an engineer who specializes in home construction, particularly if it is older than 1920.
• Home Purchase Contract
The most important thing you'll need to complete your home purchase is Home purchase contract, which needs to be detailed enough to protect you legally but simple enough for you to understand. A Home purchase contract outlines the responsibilities of both the buyer and seller during the Home buying process, including everything from settlement costs to Home inspections. Ensure that your Home purchase contract specifies what warranties are included on new Home appliances (if any), whether or not Home will be vacant at time of closing, obligations of Home owner association if there is one, whether or not seller will pay Home Standard Fees at closing , how utilities will be handled/shut off/turned on after closing , etc. The final sections of a Home purchase include entrance into possession by you as owner and release from responsibility by buyer.