Good afternoon Christen,
First steps:
Meet with a Local Mortgage Banker to get prequalified for mortgage financing. The Mortgage Banker will review all facets of your loan request to answer your questions with regards to the types of loans and maximum loan amounts you could qualify for.
Get a referral to a good, local, real estate attorney. Call the attorney, retain the attorney so you have her information handy when you make an offer. Having that information at time of offer helps you demonstrate to the Seller how serious you are, and they will consider your offer with more interest.
Line up a Home Inspector. A good home inspector will scare the heck out of you: that's what you pay him for! But you'll concentrate on the fundamentals of the property: roof free of leaks, plumbing, heating and electrical up to code and in good working order. Again, when you make an offer and you have your Home Inspector ready to go, your offer will be considered with much more interest by a Seller because you truly have your "ducks in a row" and your preparation demonstrates your serious attitude about conducting the purchase transaction in a timely manner.
Find an experienced Local Realtor who works in your desired shopping area. A serious pro Realtor will refuse to show you homes until you are Prequalified for mortgage financing. Don't take offense! That Realtor doesn't want you to be disappointed and wants you to have a smooth experience as you shop for your new home.
Put together your Team of real estate professionals and shop 'til you drop!
Trevor Curran
NMLS #40140
Mobile: 516-582-9181
Office: 516-829-2900
Fax: 516-829-2944
PowerHouse Solutions, Inc.
1010 Northern Blvd. Suite 234
Great Neck NY 11021
Licensed Mortgage Banker – NYS Dept. of Financial Services
NMLS#3528
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Geraldine - I have a couple great homes in West Seneca. I was thinking that it may be best that you don't have to go over the bridge to get to Buffalo General. But Its up to you to make sure you pick a spot you are comfortable with.
Amy Pfister 716-830-6689
Call me for your special needs questions I look forward to addressing them with you.... more
Good call on Dino Debbie. I love him, he's actually my rigntone.
I would say that condition is different from dated. I have seen alot of homes that are in great condition and have been extremely well maintained for the age of the house. Paint and decorating can do wonders to a house and make it look good, but sometimes can hide the actual condition the house is in.
Actually I would say that if I saw a house listed as "mint condition" I would say that it is probably an older home that has been very well maintained, you just need to look past the decor.... more
Pull out your most recent Town and County tax bill that you should have received in February. On the upper left side, a quarter of the way down, it should say: Assessed Value and below it there is a figure, Next to Assessed Value it should say: FULL MARKET VALUE. Below that is the figure the town assessor thinks your house is worth. Above the words FULL MARKET VALUE it should say UNIFORM % OF VALUE and below it is a number ( it should say 48.5%) Which is what West Seneca's assessment level is. That figure times the figure under full market value is your assessed value is. That is what you are taxed on. If you were at full market value, your tax rate per thousand would be lower but your taxes would be the same.
If the figure under full market value on your tax bill is less than what your home is currently listed at, you will have a hard time challenging your assessment. If the Full market Value is higher than what you are asking, you may have a chance to get it reduced. You usually have to do this before May 1st.
If you are on a street that is less than 10 years old, there may be higher special district taxes for lighting, sewer, etc.
I have a method of lessening these for the prospective buyer on a monthly basis. Call me if you would like to discuss it or have your agent call me at 716-568-0355
Joe Sorrentino
Associate Real Estate Broker
MJ Peterson Real Estate... more