After years of gloom-and-doom news on the real estate front, things may finally be picking up — at least according to the latest home sales numbers released by the National Association of Realtors. According to NAR, sales of existing homes rose for the third consecutive month in January and are now 5.3% above the levels registered in January 2010. First-time buyers still account for a good portion of sales activity, according to a parallel NAR practitioner survey: 29% of all sales in January, though down from 33% in December and 40% in January 2010 (when the first-time home buyer tax credit was still in place).
A professional home inspection can not only provide a great education about the home’s systems, but also be a crucial tool in negotiating the most equitable price on the home, according to HouseMaster, one of the first and largest home inspection franchisors in North America.
If you’re just beginning to think about buying a home, the best first decision you can make is to choose a qualified agent to represent you. Many first-time buyers mistakenly believe that they’ll improve their chances of finding the house that they want if they work with more than one agent, go it on their own, or simply call the agent on the For Sale sign in front of a house that they’d like to see. Sadly, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
