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How to Make a Wise Home Purchase and Avoid the Top 14 Home Buyer's Mistakes

Many home buyers rush into a home purchase without getting enough information. A home purchase, probably the one of the biggest investments of your life, needs informed and cautious consideration. Don't let impulsiveness or ignorance ruin your enjoyable home search and purchase.

Here are 14 common home buyer's mistakes to avoid:

1. Don't wait to talk to a mortgage lender and check your credit. Take care of any credit issues and prepare your finances to meet all the mortgage requirements. Make sure you satisfy all six credit requirements, not just a good credit score.

2. Don't wait too long to buy. Many renters pay more for an apartment than they would pay for a mortgage payment.

3. Don't buy more house than you can afford. Keep your payments within reason and have a backup plan for emergencies. Even though you qualify for a certain mortgage amount, you must feel comfortable with the payment.

4. Don't fall in love with the home for all the wrong reasons. Even though I mostly tell home sellers to use home staging strategies to sell for top dollar, my advice to home buyers is to look past all the staged glamour. Look at the bones of fixer houses to see if you can turn an ugly house into a dollhouse.

5. Don't work with the listing agent or the wrong buyer's agent. Get your own agent who represents your interest, one who listens to your needs. However, if you're an experienced investor who knows how to buy houses, sometimes you can save money working with the listing agent by asking for a discounted selling commission.

6. Don't buy in a neighborhood you don't know. Check at night to see what activities take place. Ask the neighbors and the local law enforcement about crime statistics.

7. Don't buy a home with an incurable defect, such as: irreparable structural damage, traffic noise, near electrical or sewage pump stations, near a mini-market with people hanging around, insufficient parking, or poor floor plan.

8. Don't buy too far away from work. Drive the route during rush hour to test how you will feel, how much time it takes, and how much gas you buy. Your happiness outweighs the home’s amenities. Calculate gas expenditure savings for a closer home and add this amount to your possible mortgage payment.

9. Don't forget to check zoning and county planning plans. Know what the current zoning allows you to do and what the planed zoning around the property will bring. You need to know if an airport, freeway, or apartment buildings will be built nearby.

10. Don't pay more than you need to buy a house. Research the sales prices yourself of recent sales. Let an agent guide you, not sell you. Many buyers offer more than they need to because they fall in love with a particular home.

11. Don't pay too much for financing. Get your credit in good shape before you start looking for a home. Find out what price range you qualify for and arrange financing so you can make offers. Before you sign any mortgage papers, shop for the best terms. Many home buyers, grateful that they qualify, overpay mortgage costs and interest.

12. Don't forget to get a home inspection from an impartial third-party. Don't just rely on your agent's referral. One agent we worked with was married to the home inspector she recommended.

13. Don't misunderstand what comes with the property. In some states, leaving the refrigerator is customary. However, in many other locations, the stove and refrigerator must be included in the sale contact as personal property that stays in the home.

14. Don't put up a "Non-Refundable" earnest money deposit. Don't let a hot seller's market or your agent's pressures convince you to put up a non-refundable deposit.

Always leave yourself a way out of any purchase contract until you get your home inspection and have time to fully investigate the property, neighborhood, and financing. Inform yourself with good home purchase information.

By Jeanette Joy Fisher