Buyers can learn from first-timer’s ‘confessions’

Tara-Nicholle Nelson

When she was a first-time buyer, long before she became a columnist about real estate, Tara-Nicholle Nelson learned five lessons the hard way.

Her experience can be helpful to everyone who is looking for a new home, whether for the first time or not.  In a nutshell, this is what Nelson confides (if that is possible on the Internet):

• When you don’t find what you want, tweak your price range up and down;
• Don’t get too excited about the property you select, certainly not until the contract is signed and any inspections and appraisals are completed;
• Be flexible, keeping deal-breakers and must-haves to a minimum while relying on your broker’s expertise;
• Take responsibility for thoroughly checking out the premises and building, especially if you don’t hire a professional inspector;
• Think deeply about what in life is important to you and your family when considering whether a home is the right fit beyond its physical characteristics.

That last point is a bit opaque, but the writer explains that she failed to reconcile her desire for a quiet neighborhood, the convenience of stores and the necessity of having playmates for her kids.

I’ve quoted Nelson in the past because she’s smart and reliably produces a good read.  Her “5 Confessions of a First-Time Home Buyer” is one of her best columns, so I hope you’ll have a look at it.

Tomorrow: About Average

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Malcolm Carter
Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
Senior Vice President
Charles Rutenberg Realty
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