So, you’re looking to buy a home in Fredericksburg!
Whether you are a first-time home buyer or a veteran investor, there are a lot of important questions to ask before purchasing a new home or property. The MLS can be helpful in showing you the square footage of a home or its number of bedrooms, but in order to know for sure whether a property meets your needs as well as your preferences, there are more comprehensive questions to ask. Here are some home-buying strategies that will allow you to take a proactive approach in your Fredericksburg property search.
To get a comprehensive view of where a home is in relation to the rest of town, use Google Earth to view the lot from above and from all sides.
View the immediate surroundings, looking for other homes, structures, fences, power lines, drainage areas, parks, schools, crosswalks, noise producers, closest freeways, etc. Consider: does the house's location give you the privacy you want? If you have children, is it close to a school? How will the house's location affect driving times? Will you hear traffic at night?
To see more information about this renovated 19th century home in the heart of Fredericksburg's historic district, click here.
Meet some neighbors to get a feel for the community before extending a contract.
Ask neighbors what they enjoy about living in the neighborhood, what the community is like, or if they know of any concerns about the lot and home you are looking at. If you have a dog, take them with you on your visit! It can act as a nice icebreaker.
Go by the home at night to get a feel of the neighborhood after dark.
The level of activity, noise or car and foot traffic might be different than when you first visited the property, and it can help you have realistic expectations about what a neighborhood is truly like after hours.
Ask your realtor about any regulations on infrastructure or cosmetic updates you could make to a particular home after you purchase it.
Fredericksburg has extensive regulations protecting historic properties in town, as well as detailed zoning requirements, and this can affect what kind of changes homeowners are allowed to make to their property. Your realtor can help you do some research to find out what regulations, if any, affect the home you are considering.
Call the City and ask if any construction projects or infrastructure improvements are in the planning stages in the immediate area.
Perhaps a new road is set to be built, or a new retail space is coming to the neighborhood. Would that affect how you feel about the location of the house?
Gather some data about the additional costs of home ownership.
You can call your homeowners insurance company and get an estimated cost of the premium for the lot or home you are considering, and ask the current owner for the last several months of utility bills to see its impact on your monthly budget. Obtain a copy of the property tax statement to have an idea of what you could pay in property taxes moving forward.
Asking some questions like the ones above and doing a bit of research beforehand can help you make sure that the home you buy is one you and your family will enjoy for years into the future.
We are here to help you make an informed decision and give you confidence in your home buying experience! Give Fredericksburg Realty a call today to take a look at any of our available listings.
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