Four errors home shoppers should avoid

Real estate salespersons say buyers continue to make the same mistakes when purchasing a home. The four most common errors:

Unrealistic time tables: With a regular sale, “assuming you’re preapproved and it’s straightforward, you can probably do it in 30 days, but 45 is more common,” says Ron Phipps, immediate past president of the National Association of Realtors. But Phipps advises homebuyers to prepare for 45 to 60 days. And if it’s a foreclosure property, they may encounter lien and title issues that could cause delays stretching that to 60 to 75 days, even up to 90 days. And for short sales, that timeframe will greatly depend on whether the lenders have already agreed to it and a preset price, but it could take anywhere from 45 days to even up to nine months, Phipps says.

Ignorance with financing: Buyers should learn more about the mortgage process, learn the terminology, and know what questions to ask in shopping around for the best mortgage rate. For example, Carolyn Warren, author of Homebuyers Beware, cautions buyers to never tell a lender, “This is my first time, and I don’t know how it all works – and I need you to guide me through the process,” she says. “It’s like putting a sign on your forehead that says, ‘Charge me more.'”

Trash talking when negotiating: If the home is painted pink and the buyer insists it needs to be repainted, he could risk jeopardizing negotiations. Instead, Phipps suggests that when making an offer, buyers should stress what they like about the home. “Don’t make it adversarial,” Phipps said. A price reduction should be talked about in terms of what the home is worth to that buyer.

Getting in over their heads: Buyers may be tempted to stretch their budget in order to get the house of their dreams. Phipps suggests buyers don’t stretch themselves so thin that they miss out on having a reserve fund in case they need to make any unexpected repairs once they move in. “In most homeownership situations, there are going to be some unforeseen circumstances,” Phipps said. “So you want to make sure you have some funds behind you.”