Looking For Our First Home

Might I suggest including your location in the subject of this post. It might help someone find you that can answer your question. Best of luck!

Congratulations, wishing you all the happiness. I think you have some homework to do first. Who gave you the price range, do you have a down payment & closing cost? You may like to visit my blog: http://4-u-web.com/blog/ and read about the home buying process and requirements. Are you buying new or resale home?

New homes have special appeal and advantages. It is a virtual assurance that maintenance cost will be minimum and predictable and builder?s warranty gives assurance, peace of mind and guarantees freedom from structural flaws or deficiencies. You most likely would have the opportunity to select your color scheme and make the appropriate upgrades if you contract on the home during construction and prior to completion.

New home construction is changing and builders try to adapt designs to new lifestyles, make the most of living space and incorporate new technology and advanced enhanced building material.

Buying a new home is most attractive because everything is new, floors, appliances, insulation, energy-saving cooling and heating systems, lighting, plumbing fixtures, sound systems, internet connections, meeting the latest building codes to mention a few.

On the other hand, a resale home is mostly in an established neighborhood. The landscaping is in, the integrity of the construction and foundation can be evaluated. The older homes may have larger rooms, and the yard may have a more generous size. If you like the resale home more, you may have your inspector check on the foundation. How sound the walls, floors and ceilings are. He will most likely check the type of plumbing that was installed and when. The electrical system is extremely important, find out if it is updated and meets the current codes or not. Your inspector will also check on the maintenance/repair history of the home, the insulation, the heating and cooling systems, the roof and gutters and it may be a good idea to find out the energy cost there.
Kay F Osman

i would also recommend asking your home inspector to order an environmental contamination report just to make sure there's nothing nearby or from the past that could lead to contamination, especially to the drinking water.

Cleveland inventories are still going up and Prices are still crashing. Why would you buy anything?

http://housing-watch.com/regionview.aspx?city=Cleveland&pct=50&g=m