Pre-Purchase
Buying a home is the single most expensive purchase most of us will ever make. For a few hundred dollars you can use the services of a home inspector to get a much better idea of the homes physical condition than you would otherwise have known. Most states require that the purchase and sales agreement have a clause allowing you the right to have the home inspected to your satisfaction or get a full refund of your deposit. Exercising this right is definitely in your best interest. Large and costly problems may be brought to your attention before you buy the home, leaving you in a position to renegotiate the terms of the sale or just walk away from the deal. You may prefer to have the seller make repairs, or you may negotiate a price cut. The choice is yours. You will be in a far more difficult position if problems are discovered after the deal is closed. Just remember: Buyer beware. If the time allowed for the home inspection is unrealistic then insist on having it extended — 10 days should be enough.

Pre-Sale
Before you put your house on the market, you may want to seriously consider the benefits of having it inspected. Without a doubt, this is the best time for a home inspection for all involved. All too often, a home inspection is performed as a final contingency of a sale with little time to absorb its impact. Any reported deficiencies at this time of high emotional stress can easily be blown out of proportion causing an over reaction and possibly the death of the deal. People are far more receptive to such deficiencies when they are disclosed to them up front, perhaps while they are viewing the home for the first time. The additional benefits to a seller are fewer renegotiations, less surprises, a better selling price, less likely litigation for improper disclosure and an increased chance that a deal will close. Having a pre-sale inspection given to a buyer does not remove the buyer's responsibility to perform their own due diligence and have their own inspection of the property.

Tips For Choosing A Home Inspector!

Is the inspector experienced?
A full-time inspector who performs 250 or more inspections per year and has many years experience is most desirable.

Is the inspector knowledgeable:
An inspector must have full working knowledge of every system in a home. Most inspectors had formal training in just one trade. To become inspectors they had to cross-train in all the other relevant trades. The more knowledgeable inspectors started with a degree in a field such as engineering or architecture that provides a broad background in general construction or they were trained to operate as a general contractor. These are good bases to build from. One does not acquire this kind of knowledge by taking a few courses or reading a book. A good rule of thumb is to look for fifteen years of combined formal training and on-the-job experience in related fields.

Who referred you to the inspector:
The best referral is from someone you personally know and trust who was satisfied with the inspector's performance. Although many real-estate professionals refer quality home inspectors there is a possible conflict of interest with this type of referral. If you were not reliably referred to the inspector then ask for references from past clients, preferably from several years past.

Which inspector will the inspection company send:
When dealing with an inspection company the reputations of both the company and the inspector who is assigned to your home are important. Request that an experienced inspector be assigned rather than a new one.

Is the inspector covered by errors and omissions insurance and general liability insurance:
It is to your advantage that your inspector has this coverage. Do not be afraid to ask for a copy of the policies.

How long does the inspection take:
Ask how long the inspection will take and how many other inspections will be performed on the same day as yours. If the inspection takes less than 2 hours find another inspector. Performing a thorough inspection is very tiring, so arrange to be the first or second one of the day.

How much does the inspection cost:
This is one area where you do not want to nickel and dime. A well-established, full-time professional inspector is going to be at the high end of the spectrum. Several hundred dollars is a small price to pay to get the best protection you can for perhaps the biggest purchase of your life.

What type of report do you get and when do you get it:
You may want to ask this question since there are several answers. An inspection should include a signed report that describes what was inspected and the condition of each inspected item. Some inspectors use a checklist type of form with stock responses. Other inspectors simply provide a written description of the conditions found. A modern alternative to these are computer-generated reports. The best of these are generated by advanced home inspection software systems and include comments specific to each home.

An important question to ask is, When do I get the report? The checklist type and the handwritten type are usually delivered to you on-site. Computer-generated reports are also available on-site from a few inspectors who bring a portable computer to the job. Otherwise, the inspector mails the report. You may want to know up front how long you can expect to wait for it.

Is the inspector affiliated with any organizations:
There are many local, Province, and national organizations that an inspector can join as well as many franchises that an inspector can purchase. However, membership in any organization does not guarantee a quality inspector.

What is a Home Inspection?

The goal
The goal of a home inspection is to give the client a much better understanding of the physical condition of the structure than would otherwise be known. To achieve this an inspector conducts a visual inspection of the home and its systems.

Preliminaries
Typical homes take 2-3 hours to inspect. When the client arrives the inspector often presents a pre-inspection agreement to be signed followed by payment. A good inspector then gives the client an overview of the inspection process and invites the client to accompany him.

Items covered
Though the order may vary the inspector should at least visually inspect the following:

- interior

- foundation  &  basement

- framing & structure

- roof & attic

- chimney

- kitchen, appliances, laundry bathrooms

- plumbing system

- electrical system

- heating system

- air conditioning system

- garage

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Choosing a Neighbourhood
Remember that you can renovate a house but neighbourhoods take years to change and there's no guarantee they'll change for the better! On the other hand, if you really love a certain part of town but it's out of your price range you may want to consider buying a less-than-perfect home then doing renovations. They can be quite expensive so try to make improvements that will be reflected in the value when you sell. These renovations have been found to have the greatest payback: kitchen 70%, bathroom 68%, interior painting 65%, exterior painting 62%.

Tips on choosing a suitable neighbourhood:

• When you find a locale you like, walk around it. See what it's like from street level.
• Are the people friendly?
• Are there stores and recreation facilities nearby?
• Contact the local school board if you have children. Do local schools provide good education opportunities? If applicable are there private/religious schools?

Figure out what you can afford:
Consider how much you currently need to live on and how much you actually have leftover every month. People have a tendency to create budgets that look nothing like reality – when we should have $400 left over, for some reason we only have half that.

Consider these basic costs of buying a new home:

• Most homes require a down payment of several thousand dollars.

• Monthly mortgage payments can be 1/3 of the average person's annual net income.
• You may want to pay for a home inspection. Consider more than just the structure. Ask the inspector to check for asbestos, radon, animal infestation and lead.
• Moving costs can be from a couple hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the distance of your move and the quantity of belongings.

Financing
The sort of home you can afford depends on several things:

• How much you have saved

• How much you earn

• Past earnings
• Your credit rating

The past has a way of haunting new homebuyers. If you are concerned about your credit rating you can usually get a free copy of your rating report from your local credit bureau. Normally all that's required is a couple pieces of photo identification. Remember, a few late payments or disputed bills can besmirch your record. Try to pay everything on time and don't have more than two credit cards. A bad rating can spell trouble getting a mortgage or you end up paying more for your mortgage as a form of insurance to the lender.

Pre-Qualification
This refers to documents from a bank or other lender indicating that you have the financing to back up your offer on a house. Pre-qualification is free and most lenders are happy to sit down with prospective buyers and figure how much they can afford. Having an accurate idea of price range will save time in the bidding process. If there are several people making offers on your dream home, being pre-qualified can make your offer more attractive since financing is not in question. It is important to note, however, that lending institutions will base their final decision about a mortgage on ability of the buyer to service the debt as well as the property. Most lenders state that the two components go hand in hand – the buyer with the ability to repay a mortgage and the property as security in the event of default on payment.

By taking all these points into consideration, you can worry less about the process of buying and get busy finding your ideal home!

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A clean house gives potetial buyers the impression that the whole house is well maintained including items you cannot see, such as heating and plumbing.

Most sellers know that a tidy home can help their home sell faster but clean is a relative term. What one person finds acceptable could send another running for the door. Real estate agents have seen it all: ring around the bathtub, clothes on the floor, pantyhose hanging off the shower curtain, sinks full of dirty dishes, living rooms littered with toys, the list goes on and on..

There are three main incentives to keeping your house in perfect showing condition: your home may sell faster, you may get more money for it and by removing the clutter you will allow people to focus on any improvements you've made to your home. (It's hard to see the new tile floor in the bathroom when it's covered in wet towels!)

Long before the first open house, take stock of your home. Do you have piles of magazines you've never finished beside your couch? Are your closets and drawers overflowing with clothes you're hoping will come back in style? Do you trip over a pile of shoes when you walk in the door? Be brave and pack up anything you don't use on a regular basis and give away whatever you haven't used or worn in the last five years-bell-bottoms couldn't possibly make another comeback! A good guideline to aim for is the uncluttered, unobtrusive look of a hotel room.

While you may feel that achieving such a high level of cleanliness is seemingly impossible for amateurs your efforts will pay off! Begin by washing the walls, windows and doors and shampooing carpets. If you have hardwood you may want to get them professionally cleaned and varnished. Put a drop of oil in squeaky joints. Polish brass hinges and doorknobs.

Pets should be kept outdoors or in cages during showings for everyone's safety. If you have a cat, ensure that the litter is changed or cleaned daily. Cat odour can be a great hindrance to the sale of your home since people may worry that the odour will be permanent. Open windows shortly before a showing if possible.

For the exterior of your home, a fresh paint job can do wonders. If painting your entire home is prohibitively expensive consider making small updates such as painting the window frames in a contrasting colour (ex. white against a deep blue) or just touching up rough spots. The garden is another outdoor area many homeowners overlook despite the fact that it is the first thing prospective buyers will see. Keep the lawn and bushes trimmed. If you were never much of a gardener you can still have fresh flowers by cheating a bit-make a quick trip to the garden store. Most small annual flowers are available for less then $2 per plant. Choose flowers in only two or three colours to create a sense of uniformity in your garden. Attractive flowerpots on the window ledge can be a nice touch depending on your style of house.

Don't be surprised if people also want to see the garage. Some buyers feel the garage reflects the general maintenance of the entire property. Unfortunately, if you are like most people you enter your garage half expecting to be attacked by your belongings. If you have no where else to store the items you don't want to give away, at least try to put them in boxes piled neatly along one wall. Designate one area for bikes and other sporting equipment.

Once you've completed these tasks, it's important to maintain the neatness of your home on a daily basis while you have it up for sale.  If you start with a clean house, it's easy to wipe off a counter or run the vacuum over the carpet to get it into good condition and ultimately complete the sale.

"Were bringing Regina Real Estate to life"