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Are you planning to buy a home in WA, CO, ID, or OR any time soon? If so, you may want to visit a few open houses to help you get familiar with what’s out there.
An open house gives you a great opportunity to look more closely at real estate you might be interested in buying.
Open houses also afford you the chance to chat with the owner or real estate agent so you can bring up any issues or hesitations you have with the home.
Knowing what to ask can be difficult, so below are examples of questions to ask at the next open house you attend.
If you ask why the seller is moving, you could learn valuable information to help determine your offer — or possibly whether or not you want to buy the home.
Knowing whether the owners are about to go into foreclosure, have experienced trouble in the neighborhood, or if they’ve retired and completely paid off the home can help you understand how urgently they need to sell their property.
Don’t forget that you are not only negotiating with the seller for a price, you are also competing with other potential buyers.
It really helps to know what you are up against.
It is important to understand that you might not get a 100% straight answer to this question as most sellers know that competition – or perceived competition – can cause a potential buyer to move forward more quickly and at a higher price.
If you’re comfortable in this discussion, you might want to try and see if you can find out the details of any other offers.
Ask the agent or owner about the other costs associated with owning the property, such as Home Owners Association fees within a condo complex or a gated community.
It’s important to know about these extra expenses in advance so you can make an informed offer.
You may also want to ask about any pending litigation concerning the property. Litigation is not always a deal killer, but it’s better to know the details before you sign closing documents.
Most of the time, a seller will include their major appliances such as the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher with the home, but this isn’t always the case.
If you don’t already have these items, it’s important to know whether they are included in the purchase price.
This is an important question to ask. Especially if there are specific things in the home that you have a strong interest in.
Perhaps there is custom art work or a pool table that fits perfectly in the game room.
The seller may be eager to part with those items and include them in the sale of the home or sell them at a large discount.
The open house is a great opportunity to learn more about a home before making the decision to buy it, so be sure you ask the right questions.
Are you in need of mortgage financing to purchase a home? If so, we can help. Sammamish Mortgage is a mortgage company based in Bellevue, Washington that has been offering competitive pricing on various mortgage programs since 1992. We have been serving borrowers in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Colorado since 1992. Contact us today to get started on your mortgage application!
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.