If you’re looking for your dream home on the University Hills real estate market, it’s important to know what questions you should ask when visiting different homes with your real estate agent. The next time you tour a home, make sure you get these questions answered:

Have a lot of buyers shown interest in the property?

Ask your agent to find out how many other buyers have shown interest in the property. Why? If you’re interested, you need to know whether it will be difficult to buy the home. If a lot of other buyers are interested, you may end up in a bidding war or may lose to a buyer who is willing to pay in cash or close quickly.

How much will I have to spend on utilities?

To determine if you will be able to afford the house, you will need to know more than just the listing price of the home. Ask your real estate agent how much the utility bills are on average so you can calculate this into your budget. If the home is in a HOA community, you should also find out what these fees are so you know exactly how much you will have to spend every month.

How old is the roof?

Buyers usually spend a lot of time inspecting the interior of the home, but they often forget to look at exterior features. Be sure to ask your agent about the age of the roof. Why is this important? Roofing material can last anywhere from 15 to 50 years depending on the type. If the roofing material is only expected to last 15 years and the last time it was replaced was 13 years ago, you should know this before buying the home. Replacing a roof is expensive, so this is a major project that you will need to budget for if you plan on buying the home. There are things to look for when it comes to making roofs last.

Why are the sellers moving?

Finding out why the sellers are moving will help you determine whether they are highly motivated to sell or not. For example, if they are selling because they have to relocate to another city for a job, they will probably be eager to sell so they can begin the next chapter in their lives. This means they should be more flexible on the price and more willing to negotiate with you on other aspects of the deal. However, if they have already moved into another home in the area, they probably won’t be as eager to make a deal and will be more focused on selling their home for as much as possible.
 
Sometimes, sellers move because they think the neighborhood is changing. If you see a lot of “for sale” signs in the neighborhood, this could indicate that the neighborhood is going downhill, so be sure to have your realtor look into this as well.
 
Now that you know which questions you should ask, are you ready to buy a new home in University Hills? Contact Elevation Realty to be connected to a team of experienced real estate experts ready to help you on your home buying or selling journey.