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THE Fife Three important points for home buyers Tills article Is provided by local Realtors and the Ontario Real Association for the benefit of consumers In real estate market Ask any real estate professional to pinpoint the three most important thing you should consider before purchasing a home and youre likely to hear the words location location While Its important to like the home that youre going to live in its appearance size affordablllty and comfort the location you choose also has a great deal of bearing on the future value of your home If youre thinking of purchasing a home whether youre a first time or even a fifth time buyer its a good idea to sit down and ask yourself a series of questions before you go out that new abode This is called prequalifying yourself Realtors do this all the time for purchasers to get a good in dication of what their customers are looking for By doing this ahead of time you can give both yourself and your local real estate professional a very clear idea of exactly what you want EXAMINE AND IDENTIFY YOUR PRIORITIES Identify your priorities If you re selling your current home are you trying to upgrade to something that s more spacious and closer to local schools or your workplace Or have you decided to scale down to something smaller and easier to take care of perhaps a small bungalow or a low maintenance con dominium Use the same approach if you re a first time buyer Why do you want to buy a home What types of features are you looking for Is proximity to local transit a necessity Are you anxious to be closer to shopping facilities If you work out of your home do you require a very quiet more remote location Try prioritizing your specific needs and wants on paper If you have a family their needs must also be taken into consideration For in stance would you like to live within easy walking distance of schools If you family is sportsminded would you like to live relatively close to recreational facilities Would you prefer to live within the vicinity of a hospital If you live in a large urban centre are you tired of Jong com mutes to SCOUT AROUND Once youve identified and prioritized your wants and needs start scoping out neighborhoods that you feel will meet your re quirements Get a map of your city and study it carefully to see which neighborhoods appeal to you the most But remember to always keep your budget limitations in mind Un doubtedly most people would prefer to live In prosperous upscale neighborhoods but this isnt always financially possible Its important to be realistic Many people have made the mistake of themselves financially simply because they got carried away You may also want to consider looking at neighborhoods which are being revamped and revitalized Many people have benefited from buying handymans specials in areas where extensive renovations have taken place in Toronto is a prime example Pro perty values in such locations often soar once revitalization gets under way GET A FEEL FOR THE AREA Drive around the neighborhoods that appeal to you and try to get a general feel for the community Do people appear to take pride in their properties Tidy well kept proper tied usually indicate a stable neighborhood with a good sense of community spirit Try walking around the neighborhood as well and go there at times of peak activity to see how much traffic there is and what the general noise level Is like If youre serious about moving into the neighborhood repeat your visits go there on a weekend weeknight and even in the middle of the day Once you ve narrowed down your location preferences get a real estate professional to show you pro perties in the area Realtors should be able to give you a comparative analysis of the selling prices of other properties in the neighborhood You can then compare these to the list prices of the homes youre in terested In Its Inevitable that you probably won t be able to achieve each and every one of your priorities But by clearly Identifying your needs wants and financial limitations you 11 come much closer to realizing your goal Get several bids for home improvements Youll need it least two bids on any borne Improvement work hat you are phoning In order to be ewe that you are paying a fair price However its wise to get three or four he Cauda Mortgage and Bousing pubUcaUoa How to Hires Contractor After contacting your prospective contractors ask them to drop around and Inspect the Job Make sure you do not sign or pay for anything on the first visit On simple jobs like roofing and Minting the contractor should be able to give you a written quotation immediately outlining the work to be done the materials to be used and the price For larger lob like kitchen remodeling or additions you should ask for samples and literature Illustrating the products to be used and If possible photographs or references from similar Jobs the firm has done After Ing on your requirements the contractor should come beck with sketches and a complete written estimate detailing work to be done price starting and completion dates and terms of payment When comparing bids make sure they all cover the same work and materials or allowances have been made for any differences Remember the low bid is not necessarily the best bid Contractors who submit unusually low bids may be lowballing to get the Job or may not know enough about the work to estimate It properly When they find out they may lose money they will look for ways to cut costs or add unjustifiable extras to the bill In any of these cases you re in trouble A great way to avoid this trouble is to contact your local office for a copy of How to Mire a Contractor or a com ptetc list of publications programs and videos dealing with lion DO COME TRUE When you find your DREAM HOME in the HALTON HILLS HOMESTYLE REALTORS Our HOMESTYLE Real Estate Guide reaches over 16300 homes every week including Georgetown Acton Erin and the surrounding rural communities EXCEPTIONAL RATES SUPERIOR SERVICE GIVE US A TRY Call Kim Haryott at 8772201