Choosing a Home

You should always consider that when buying a house you are buying much more than a structure to keep you warm and safe. You are buying an investment, you are buying a property, and you are buying a place in a community. All of these aspects must be considered to get the maximum satisfaction from your new home.

Before buying a new home, you must be sure that you will be able to afford it. Some costs, such as the cost of the home are obvious. However, some costs are not as obvious. You must also be sure that you will be able to heat your home, provide running water to your home, maintain your home, and be able to afford your monthly shopping bills.

• Asking for any energy audits that may have been done
• Ask for a copy of the most recent utility bills from homeowner to see past year billing history

Paying taxes on your property is necessary to keep your community in good condition. However, not many consumers realize that they maybe tax exempt from several taxes. To determine if you qualify for any tax exemptions you should check with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and your local town hall.

Many consumers may find it advisable to hire an attorney to protect your interests when buying a new home.

Before buying a home you should always contact your local board of health and schedule an appointment to have a home inspector come to your potential new home and make sure it complies with the provisions in the state health code. If you would like more information on how this process works and what provision are contained in the health code you should contact the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Real estate brokers, agents, and the seller are not required to disclose if the house you are buying contains lead hazards. Therefore, you should always take precaution to protect against lead poisioning, especially if you have young children.

Before buying a home you should always have the property inspected by a licensed home inspector. To find out if a home inspector is licensed you should contact the Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure.

To determine if the worth of the property you are about to buy, you may want to have the both the land and the house re-valued. If you would like to schedule an appointment to have the property re-valued you should contact your local city or town Assessor.

Purchasing a condominium can be one of the most confusing home purchases to make. Before purchasing a condominium you should always review every provision contained in the condominium association master deed. This deed will lay out the rules and regulations of the condominium association, such as how assessments will be made, and can be found in city or town's local Registry of Deeds.