Wednesday, September 26, 2012

5 Questions to Ask When Searching for Your Harbor Country Home


We’ve talked in our posts recently about the great fall real estate market and how it can really pick up as people want to be done with the home buying or selling process before the busy holiday season.  Here at Shoreline Property Advisors, we enjoy helping people through those processes in the most stress free and efficient ways possible.  Our years of experience in working along the Lake Michigan shoreline has given us keen insight into what it takes to navigate the real estate market with ease.

If you’re considering buying a home in Harbor Country this fall, you’ll find a wide variety of beautiful homes currently available.  This can be great as you think through the options that you have, but can also seem daunting if you have too many options from which to choose.  Want to have a way to narrow it down to your ideal home?  Below are five questions that will give you more insight into the home and if it’s the right house for you.

1. Have you had any offers on the property? This will let you know what type of competition you’ll have if you decide to put in an offer on the home. You’ll also want to know if the seller has rejected any offers as this will give you insight into what the seller is expecting from the sale.
2. Has this house been in escrow? If the home has been in escrow and didn’t sell, it’s important to find out why. It could be that the funds fell through on the buyers end, but if it’s an issue that came up in the home inspection; you’ll want to know what you’re dealing with if you decide to buy the home.
3. How long has the property been on the market? The longer a home sits on the market, the less activity it gets. If the Harbor Country home has been on the market for some time, it could mean the seller is more willing to be flexible on the price.
4. Why are the owners selling? The agent who is showing the house may not want to answer this question if the seller is anxious to sell quickly. A sellers agent will want to get the best price for the home and offering up this type of information may mean lower offers on the table. However, if you find that the seller is in financial straits or is moving soon, this can play in your favor. Of course you’ll want to be sensitive to the sellers situation and not present an offer that is offensive or much lower than you know the home is worth. Your Harbor Country Real Estate agent will help point you in the right direction when it comes to placing an offer on a home.
5. Are there any other costs of ownership? This is much more common in buying a condo or townhome,  but there are some Harbor Country neighborhoods that have additional Home Owners Association (HOA) fees. Be sure you find out what they are and what they cover so that you’re not surprised by them after buying the home.
We hope these questions will help you as you begin searching for your Harbor Country home!  It’s important to stay objective when you find a home you really like because there could be extensive issues with the home or the seller can walk away if your offer is too low.  Going through these questions with your Harbor Country Real Estate agent with each home you view can allow you to narrow down your search to find the right home for you!
If you have further questions about buying a Harbor Country home or are ready to begin your home search; contact us today!  We would love to work with you to find your dream home in beautiful Harbor Country!

Shoreline Property Advisors
@ Prudential Rubloff

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