The house hunting process becomes very time consuming if you're looking in a new neighborhood, city, suburb or state
Don't limit your time to just inspecting the home when you're looking in a new neighborhood. It's important to know your future neighborhood and feel comfortable with the shopping venues, community services, public transportation options, houses of worship, recreational activities, and other amenities.
Remember, no matter how much you love a house, if you don't love the neighborhood, you could become a prisoner of your castle rather than its king or queen.
Ilyce Glink is the bestselling author of 100 Questions Every First Time Home Buyer Should Ask, and is the Managing Editor of Right at Home Daily.
Determining Future Costs: Maintenance and Upkeep
Even if you're handy or have a relative who is a contractor, house maintenance and upkeep can be costly. How costly depends on various factors. Barbara Buchholz explains how to determine these future costs.
It's easy to dream. It's a lot tougher to make real-life
decisions based on what you have to spend and what's
on the market. Barbara Buchholz, former editor of House
& Garden Guides Magazine and co-author of Porch Style
and the New Homeowner's Handbook will provide you with
information to help you figure out what kind of home is
really right for you and make your dreams a reality.
Hunting for a home can quickly become confusing and
frustrating. Should you use an agent or house-hunt on
your own? How can you choose the right neighborhood?
In this section, Lisa Skolnik, city editor for Metropolitan
Home magazine and co-author of Porch Style will help
you find information that can help you get moving in the
right direction.
If you're looking for the perfect home, forget it. Every
house, including one that's just been totally renovated or
newly built, will need a dose of TLC as time goes on. If
you're willing to live with and correct these
imperfections, you may be able to create real value that
translates into a nice profit when it comes time to sell.
Jim Sulski, real estate development and home
improvement contributor for numerous publications
including the Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business
and Consumer's Digest offers some guidelines.
