3. Play Game of Nines

Before house hunting, make a list of things you want in new place. Then make a list of things you don't want. You can use this list as a guide to rate each property that you see. The one with biggest score wins! This helps avoid confusion and keeps things in perspective when you're comparing dozens of homes. When house hunting, keep in mind difference between "STYLE AND SUBSTANCE". The SUBSTANCE is set of things that cannot be changed such as location, view, size of lot, noise in area, school district, and floor plan. The STYLE represents easily changed surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color, and window coverings. Buy house with good SUBSTANCE, because STYLE can always be changed to match your tastes. I always recommend that you imagine each house as if it were vacant.

Consider each house on its underlying merits, not seller's decorating skills.

4. Don't Be Pushed Into Any House

Your agent should show you everything available that meets your requirements. Don't make a decision on a house until you feel that you've seen enough to pick best one.

Don't forget to check into SCHOOL DISTRICTS of area you're considering. Information is available on every school, such as class sizes, % of students that go on to college, SAT scores, etc. You can get this information from this web site.

5. Stop Calling Ads!

Please note - ads are sometimes created to make phone ring! Many of homes have some drawback that's not mentioned in ad, such as traffic noise, power lines, or litigation in community. What's not mentioned in ad is usually more important than what is.

For this reason, I want you to be very careful when reading ads. Remember that person writing ad is representing seller and not you! The most important thing you can do is have someone on your side looking out for your best interests. Your own agent will critique property with an eye towards how well it meets your needs and will point out any drawbacks you should know about. So whether you decide to work with me or not, pick an agent you feel comfortable with and enlist services of that agent as a buyer's broker. Then you become a client with all rights, benefits, and privileges created by this agency relationship, and you're no longer just a shopper. Did you know that many homes are sold WITHOUT A SIGN ever going up or an AD EVER BEING PUT IN THE PAPER? These "great deals" go to those people who are committed to working with one agent. When an agent hears of a great buy, who do you think he's going to call? His client, who he has a legal obligation to work hard for you, or someone who just called on phone and said "keep your eyes open"? So to get best buy on a property, I always recommend that you hire your own agent and stick with him or her.

(c) Copyright 2005 Madan Ahluwalia. All rights reserved.

Mistake #6 -- Not Knowing Your Rights & Responsibilities

It is extremely important that you are well-informed of details in your real estate contract. Real estate contracts are legally binding documents, and they can often be complex and confusing. Not being aware of terms in your contract could cost you thousands for repairs and inspections. Know what you are responsible for before signing contract. Can property be sold "as is"? How will deed restrictions and local zoning laws affect your transaction? Not knowing answers to these kinds of questions could end up costing you a considerable amount of money.

Mistake #7 -- Limiting Marketing and Advertising of Property

Your REALTOR® should employ a wide variety of marketing techniques. Your REALTOR® should also be committed to selling your property; he or she should be available for every phone call from a prospective buyer. Most calls are received, and open houses are scheduled, during business hours, so make sure that your REALTOR® is working on selling your home during these hours. Chances are that you have a job, too, so you may not be able to get in touch with many potential buyers.

(c) Copyright 2005 Madan Ahluwalia. All rights reserved.

Madan “Raja” Ahluwalia is an Attorney at Law and Realtor. Raja offer his real estate clients a counseling-based approach to home buying, where client’s long-term goals are most important consideration and outweigh benefits of any single sale. Raja possesses a thorough understanding of real estate market and trends, based on years of involvement in real estate. He provides expert insights and helps clients understand timing, pricing and financing issues. Contact Raja at raja@kw.com or 650.430.4023.

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Madan “Raja” Ahluwalia is an Attorney at Law & Realtor. Raja offers his clients a counseling-based approach to home buying, where client’s long-term goals are most important consideration. He possesses a thorough understanding of market and trends, based on years of involvement in real estate. He provides expert insights and helps clients understand timing, pricing and financing issues. Contact Raja at raja@kw.com or 650.430.4023.