Buying a Home
Expand All Guide SectionsRent or Buy?
The purchase of a home is likely the single largest transaction you will ever make. If you're ... read more »
Where to Live
Finding the right neighborhood can be just as important as finding the right home. Maybe ... read more »
Choosing a Home
As your hunting begins, you will soon find that there is no shortage of properties for sale. While ... read more »
Find Homes for Sale
There was a time when the only way to find homes for sale was through newspapers or signs in ... read more »
Find Real Estate Brokers
Whether you hire a broker to help you purchase a home is a personal decision. Some people feel ... read more »
Home Inspections and Homeowners Insurance
Now that you've found a home you like, it's time to do a little more sleuthing. As soon as possible ... read more »
Negotiating Home Prices
Negotiating the price of a home requires the same level of research and preparation you've put into finding the home of your dreams, researching loans, and learning about the responsibilities of home ownership. Now that you're ready to negotiate, take the time to study this process carefully. If you make a bid that's too low, a seller might end the whole process. Then again, you don't want to make an offer that's too high or you might end up paying more than you would have needed to.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The art of negotiation isn’t specific to buying a home. When researching negotiation tactics, look beyond real estate sites; if an article is offering advice for boardroom negotiation tactics, you may find it just as useful if you can apply its principles to your home buying negotiations.
- Read a bit about market trends and the recent sale history of houses in the neighborhood you are shopping in. Public records can be found online and this information may save you from overbidding.
- Make sure you know how much you can afford to spend on a home before you start the negotiation process. The "Rent or Buy?" and "Home Mortgages" sections of this Web guide both contain sites that will can help you determine what you can afford to spend each month.
- You'll have to think about interest rates when you are trying to settle on a purchase price for your home. We've included a site that lists current rates, updated weekly.
Dulcinea's Picks
Home Mortgages
The process of obtaining a home loan can be arduous and confusing if you're not prepared before you ... read more »
Closing Process
The day you close on your new home can be a very exciting one but if you want it to go smoothly ... read more »
