Ask ask ask before buying
March 22nd, 2008, 10:09 pm Teen Hobbies
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -Shopping for a vacation home in Arizona? When thousands of miles separate you and your hoped-for vacation home, using your time wisely and maximizing your efforts –before and during your shopping trip — will pay big dividends. That means asking yourself and the seller lots of questions.Narrow your preferences on the location of your second home. What characteristics are important to you and your family? Weather, sports, size of the community, travel distance, ease in flying or driving there? Consider what an ideal day on vacation would be and then think about where that might be spent.These days, many Canadians choose Arizona for its weather, sports and other leisure activities.Define the kind of home you’re looking for. A villa, single-family home, turnkey condominium or townhome, a fixer-upper or planned community — all have value. What will you and your family most enjoy? Doing home repairs won’t seem like a great vacation day if you’d rather be playing golf.Baby Boomers, retirees and tweens all have different ideas about the activities that should be nearby. How long does it take to get to your favourite events and leisure activities? One Canadian family who owns a Phoenix home noted that it takes them just 40 minutes to get to the hockey games, where a ticket costs only US$17.Check out the highway systems. How long does it take to get to the airport? The shopping centres? The hockey arena? Real estate is still always about location, location, location.When possible, stay in the area for a week or two before buying. Carrie Coburn of Edmonton says, “We’re frequently asked if we’ll rent our Desert Ridge home in Phoenix for a week or two when we’re not using it and we try to accommodate people because we remember how important the up-close look was to us.”Once you’ve defined some locations, find out what’s on the market and how long it’s been listed. Identifying a real estate company and agent will give you access to listings. For Sale by Owner properties are highly desirable because the price probably reflects no agent fees and the owner will have first-hand knowledge about the property.While real estate laws differ from state to state and country to country, they all require a contract, so it is best to have all paperwork reviewed by your lawyer.It’s a real estate agent’s job to locate properties you should see, but if you can accomplish that on your own, you may not need an agent. Don’t be afraid to follow Open House signs and see where that takes you.Before you make an offer on a property, be a clever detective. Ask the usual questions, but non-traditional ones may provide you with the answers you’re looking for. For example, if the exterior has recently been painted, ask what company’s paint was used. If it’s a brand you’ve never heard of, ask more questions about it. The owner may have taken a shortcut to get the property looking nice just for the sale. Has he or she taken other shortcuts?If a property is part of a Homeowner’s Association, ask for the president’s e-mail address or telephone number. Asking about the parameters of the association and the status of a specific property will give you valuable information.
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