If you think you have found your dream property in Rancho Mirage or another part of the Palm Spring Valley, you may be close to making an offer. Narrowing down your choices to one is a very exciting prospect, but don’t jump the gun too early. Below are a few essential things to investigate before you actually make an offer—your realtor may be able to dispense much of the information needed and some of it you can research on your own.
- Evaluate safety. One of the first things you should do when considering a neighborhood is to check the crime report. The local police station will post crime statistics on line and you can also check CrimeReports.com.
- Check out the school system. If you have children, this is very important—even if you don’t, the school systems rankings can affect your home’s resale value.
- Assess your commute. This is an important detail that many people forget about doing. Drive from your job, during rush hour, to your potential new property in Rancho Mirage. Since you probably viewed the home on a weekend, it’s not a good representation of what traffic will really be like during busier times.
- Hire a home inspector. It’s essential to find out all the repairs that may be necessary before you make the offer so you can have an accurate picture of the kind of budget you will need to have in place. You can negotiate to include a home inspection in the offer, and then possibly require the seller to make some of the improvements.
- Determine other costs. It’s important to understand that your monthly mortgage payment can be more than the principal and interest on the loan. Ask your realtor about taxes, homeowner association dues and utility bills. You should also get some quotes in advance for homeowners’ insurance.
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