buying your next home

deciding on the neighborhood & type of home

I would like to share some ideas with you about finding your future home, including information on deciding on a community to live in and what to look for during a walk-through.

When determining the neighborhood you would like to live in, please consider its location approximate to your job as well as schools, public transportation, shopping, museums, theaters and other attractions that might interest you.

Drive around the neighborhood and talk to residents. Can you picture yourself happily living here? Most importantly, choose a community where you feel comfortable.

Once you have narrowed your search to a particular area, contact the local chamber of commerce for promotional literature about the community.

I also suggest visiting the local library as it is a wonderful source for information on local events. I can give you information about the local schools. You can Orange County Schools info here.

One of the questions I often get is whether or not it is best to buy a new home. There are pros and cons to new homes as well as old.

Newer homes are usually easier to maintain and more energy efficient. But they usually have smaller lots and are built closer together than older homes. As the price of land increased, the developers crammed in as many houses as they could, resulting in much smaller lot sizes.
Older homes are in more established neighborhoods. They tend to have larger room sizes, and lbigger yards. And if they have been well maintained, you will find them just as easy to maintain as newer homes.

It is best to evaluate each house based on what it has to offer.

There are many things to look for when walking through a home, including the following:

Is this location good for you?
Do you like the floor plan?
Is the house structurally sound?
Is the construction quality up to your standards?
Is there enough space for the present and the future?
Does it have the desired number of bedrooms and bathrooms?
Are you happy with the lot size?
Does it include all of the minimum amenities for your lifestyle?
Will your furniture fit in the space?
Is there enough storage space?

I will help point out the pros and cons of each home from a professional standpoint. Once we weed out the homes that do not interest you, we should consider the details of the ones you like, including the amount of work that needs to be done if you purchase the home.

It is best to determine if all of the mechanical systems and appliances work.

Does anything need to be repaired or replaced?
Find out if the seller will do these things or offer an allowance for the buyer to do them.

If you are happy with the details, we should go back to the final selections for a second look. This will help us select the perfect home for you. On average, homebuyers walk through five to eight houses before selecting one.

The more you keep me updated with your needs, the better I can assist you. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. I can be reached at 949-230-5209 and shirley@shirleymiller.com.

As always, don't forget, if you have any questions or queries drop me a quick email. I'll be happy to help.

Should You Buy or Should You Rent.

Income, How Much To Borrow, Mortgage Repayments, Credit History.

Kind regards