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So you’ve decided you want to own a home and now you want to begin your search for one. Before jumping into a home search, there are a few things you should keep in mind when going about buying a home. First things first, you cannot buy a home if you can’t afford it! Don’t assume how much you can afford, find out your loan eligibility. If you’re planning on purchasing a car or any other high-priced item on a loan, then please stall such purchase until after you get your home as your eligibility reduces with every other loan you hold at the time of a mortgage application.

Next, when you go in to see a home, don’t let an unkempt / untidy house put you off. Try and visualise the house in its best condition and see if it would suit you then. In fact, an unkempt house may put other buyers off and by some chance this may lead you into a better position when negotiating for the home, as the seller may find it difficult finding a buyer for his place. If the home you decide to purchase is being sold by the home owner himself, don’t deposit any earnest money with him directly. Such earnest money should be deposited in a trust account as some owners mistake such money to be theirs and hesitate in refunding the same if the deal falls through for valid reasons, such as financing or repair issues.

Once you’ve finalised on a home and go to get an appraisal of the home done by a professional appraiser, do not panic if the appraisal value comes below the actual price you decide to pay for the home. There are options you can consider in this case. You would have to consult your agent or your mortgage broker for some advice. Some other factors you may want to consider are listed below: - Any signs of leakage in the house near the roofs and the foundation walls - Problems with the sewer drainage system, if any - Neighborhood by daylight and night.

Drive by and see for yourself before making a decision. - Natural light. Are the rooms dark without artifical light? Does that concern you? - The amount of property taxes that has to be paid every year - Any structure on the property which may overlap into an adjoining property. - Is the home located in an airport's flight path? - Any planned roadways, which may eat into the property's front yard. So, don’t rush into buying a home without considering some of these factors. Wish you the best of luck in finding your new home!

Sameer S Panjwani is the CEO and Founder of ChoiceOfHomes.com - Web Portal to Sell / Rent Your Home Online .