Housing prices are down, but credit is tight. Apart from stamp duty, other upfront costs of buying a home in the UK include mortgage deposit (5-40{7c352f4fa08585812fe49d64b966ab1fc9eda250e0643651a7855d798aa89d13}), mortgage costs (valuation fee, arrangement fee and booking fee), legal fees (upwards of £1,000), land registration fees and removal costs (range between £300-600).
Once you find the one,” your agent will help you prepare a complete offer package, including your offer price, your preapproval letter, proof of funds for a down payment (this helps in competitive markets) and terms or contingencies Adding a personal letter to the seller can help your offer stand out.
We tapped Priya Malani, founder of financial planning firm Stash Wealth , for some expert advice on shopping for real estate, navigating cryptic mortgage jargon, and saving time with financial tools like Mint and Turbo from Intuit Read ahead to find out everything you need to do before you gear up to make your big purchase.
If you are interested in buying and want to know what to look for, I explain the process at length in my book, Kicking Financial Ass Real estate is not always overrated and can be a good investment, but do thorough research and know what you are getting into before making a potentially costly mistake.
However, real estate agents licensed under the Real Estate Agents Act (and their salespeople) are also bound by a number of statutory and ethical obligations which require them to provide the buyer with information of material importance, and to fully answer buyers’ questions.