Home Buying – How To Buy For Less

The Lawhead Team Blogger — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:45:17 +0000

Buying a home at a cheaper price.

The Lawhead Team would like to share some tips for buying a home at a lower price. When it comes to buying a home, you don’t have to buy the newest most updated home and break the bank while doing it. Check out our tips:

Buy a home that is not brand new. Not all pre-owned homes or old properties are a bad purchase. They are usually at a lower price compared to a newly constructed one. One of the big benefits is that you can get a more spacious house within your budget than you would be able to with a brand new home. Get to know where the bargains are. If you know of a seller in need of money wanting to sell the home as soon as possible, you are more likely to get a bargain on the quoted price.

Go a little outside of the city limits. A property on the outskirts of the city will usually cost less than a property within city limits. Look outside of your city limits if you have to stay under a certain budget when buying a home.

Don’t fall in love just because it’s pretty. The “pretty” home on the street doesn’t always necessarily mean the best house. Not to mention buying a pretty home usually comes with an expensive price tag. Remember, if there is a home that has outdated carpet and wallpaper, this can all be changed once you move in at a relatively low cost.

Don’t get attached right away. Remember, If you can’t put together a deal on the first property you like, don’t worry. There will be a lot more homes for sale and it is very common that you’ll end up finding a home a week later that you like even more than the first. Not taking that first home might end up being a blessing in disguise.

Are you interesting in buying a home? Please call The Lawhead Team for all your buying and selling needs!

Is A Home Inspection Needed On New Construction?

The Lawhead Team Blogger — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:47:08 +0000

Home inspection for a new home.

If you are buying a newly constructed home, one may wonder if a home inspection is needed. We believe it is important to have ANY home inspected no matter how new or old it is.

Many people mistakenly believe that they don’t need a home inspection on a new house. The misconception is understandable because as consumers we have been conditioned to believe that consumer products of all types will be delivered without defects. Unfortunately this is not true, especially in the new construction market.

Quality control programs in new construction vary widely in the field and many contractors do it by the seat of their pants if at all. They usually get away with this because they have learned from experience what kind of mistakes are going to show up as a problem during the warranty period, if a home inspection is not performed. As a result there are likely to be hidden defects that will show up later in the life of the house, after the builder warranty has expired.

Homeowners often encounter these problems after the first year or two not knowing they are related to construction error if they do not initially have a home inspection performed. For instance, brick veneer is installed on about 90% of the new houses built in this area. Most people do not realize that brick is not waterproof. To compensate for this, construction standards, including the building codes, require a drainage plane behind the brick along with flashing and weep holes that will guide any water that penetrates the brick, back to the outside.

It is not uncommon nowadays to see brick veneer installed without all the required flashing. As a result water may enter the interior wall and ceiling space and cause all kinds of problems including damage to walls, ceilings and floors and issues with mold, mildew and fungus.