Buying a home should be an objective decision, to wit, is it a good investment. We all know there is an emotional element that can take over. This is okay so long as you pay attention to the fundamentals such as the condition of the roof. When it comes to issues related to the roof, most people get those eyes. You know, the glazed over look. Do not make this mistake. There is general and specific information that you can easily get that will tell you a lot about the roof and the home. One of the most important issues to know is what kind of roof should be on the home. If you live in Southern California, for instance, wood shingle roofs are bad news. The fires that sweep through the region will use them like kindling. Perhaps we should take a step back first. To really grasp the roofing issues, you need to know some things about roofs. There are many types of roofs, but a few are more common than most and likely to be the ones you run into. When discussing roofs, the wood shingle variety has to be mentioned first. It was the standard bearer for many years and can last up to 30 years. Most last well short of that, so it is important to know you can expect to pay $10,000 or so to replace them. A metal roof may seem like a perfect roof. In some cases it is, but it tends to require a lot of maintenance work. Expect to pay in the eleven to fourteen thousand dollar range to replace it. With good care, it will last thirty five years or so. At the top of the list these days is the clay tile roof. It has become popular for a couple of reasons. First, fire does not really damage it. Second, water cannot rot it. Throw in a life span of 60 years or more, and the only downside is a replacement cost in the $15,000 range. When inspecting the roof, look for missing or broken pieces. They should not exist on a home for sale. If you see them, it means water may have penetrated into the underlying materials which can mean rot, mold and decay. Here is another secret tip. When looking at a wood shake roof, focus on the ends of the shingles. Do they turn up? If so, it means the roof is old and starting to fail. Why? The wood is warping. This is a critical failure that can lead to very costly repairs. Flashing is the metal that sits in corners and transitions on the roofing. If it is rusted, it means water is getting down into the roof. This is a very bad sign. It can be repaired, but get a written estimate from a certified roofer and then ask the seller for a credit. To be honest, you can only see so much from the outside, so go inside. Walk the full length of the attic. If you see stains on the ceiling boards, there is a leak that needs to be found and then repaired. The seller should pay for this. Even in this nasty housing market, buying a home is a fairly smart idea. In fact, there may be no better time to buy than now given the low prices. Sellers are desperate, so make sure to take a close look at the roofs on homes to figure out what is what.
Whether you're ready to settle into your first home or looking to buy your fifth; are moving cross-country or cross-town, it's smart to identify which attributes of a new home are most important to you. Be sure to sit down with your real estate agent and discuss your needs and wants for your new house. Here are five topics to think about when buying a home:
1) What You Can't Live Without
Our lifestyle choices are often reflected in the homes we buy. Are you a motorcycle fanatic? If so, a roomy garage would be important to you. Have a big family? You'll likely need to buy a home with at least four bedrooms. Perhaps you or your spouse is a gourmet cook. In that case, a well-designed kitchen could be a must for you. Before your real estate agent begins a home buying search for you, he or she will want to know which home attributes you can't live without.
2) Schools and Family Needs
The quality of school-systems has long been of importance to home-buying families. If you have children or are thinking about having children in your new home, you'll want to discuss school information and statistics with your real estate agent. Not only is it important to consider the location of your home relative to area schools, but you'll also want to think about the quality and diversity of local school offerings. Your real estate agent can provide statistics and information about both public and private schools in all the neighborhoods in which you're considering buying a home.
3) Commuting
For many people, commuting from home to work and back is a necessary evil. A long commute can detract from a home-buyer's quality of life and the time he or she gets to spend at home. Commuting should be a critical factor in home selection, because in many communities, traffic backups are increasingly common. And today, this phenomenon applies to urban, suburban and even rural areas. If having little or no commute to work is important to you, convey this to your real estate agent.
4) Community Details
Whether you hope to live in a vibrant urban neighborhood, or a charming rural town, the demographics, details and community statistics of a particular area are almost as important a consideration when buying a home as the details of the house itself. Do you want to live in the thick of the action? Prefer to get away from it all? If a particular aspect of a community is important to you?like a defined downtown area, or a strong recreation component'be sure to tell your real estate agent so that he or she can gather community information and keep this consideration at the forefront of your home search.
5) Budget
Of course, the most rigid constraint of a home-buying search is typically the buyer's budget. Defining budget parameters quickly and early focuses a home search to a particular segment of the market. However, with the creative lending solutions available today, budget constraints are not as rigid as they once were or as many home buyers assume them to be. Many innovative mortgage options are now available to both first-time and veteran home-buyers. Before beginning a home search, you should talk to both your real estate agent and your lender about your finance options and ultimately, your budget.
Both Mike Gibson & Coldwell Banker Staff are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Mike Gibson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gardening. Your materials will last for 30 years, but will your roofer? The certified roofers at 866FixMyRoof.com will.. Mike Gibson's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
Coldwell Banker Staff has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gardening, Property Agents and Real Estate. The staff at Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation [] writes select artic. Coldwell Banker Staff's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.