That’s right! We round out your home-buying dream team!
- Mortgage lender
- Real estate agent
- Insurance agent
The “dream team” member that stays with you after your sale is the insurance agent.
The “dream team” member that makes sure you have enough coverage to rebuild your house long after you are living in it- is your insurance agent.
The “dream team” member that is looking out for not just your actual “house” but also the things that you have inside of it- is your insurance agent.
Insurance agents are usually the most over-looked members of the “dream team” but we get the most feedback from others as they go through their home-buying process.
- We hear which real estate agents should go on the “naughty” list
- We hear which lenders are no-go’s
- We hear from the lenders and the real estate agents on which ones don’t get paperwork to each other quick enough
- We know which real estate agents will point out un-insurable flaws to you and which ones don’t
- We know which lenders can work with your situation and pivot when they need to.
Picking your house
Here are some tips that you may not have not have thought about:
- Research nearby schools. Even if you don’t have kids. This affects your home values and taxes.
- Never forget that it is all about home value. Your house is not just about where you are going to be living. Your house is now an investment. It is an asset that you own.
- Look up local safety and crime statistics.
- Map out how far of a drive it is to the grocery store or places like Target, a hospital, etc.
- If you are a mom, don’t be shy about joining a community “Mom’s” group on Facebook before you buy in a local community.
- Consider the structure of a home- specifically the roof. The younger your roof, the cheaper your home insurance.
- Avoid any house that has knob and tube wiring. This is VERY hard and expensive to insure.
- Stairs that are more than 2 steps are going to need railings. Even those little stairs going to your front door.
- Check for dead trees. Specifically if they hang over your house. These will need to be removed (either by the seller or by you, ASAP). You are not going to want a tree limb crashing through your house.
- Trees or bushes that grow too close to your home foundation aren’t good.
- You will usually have 30 days (by the insurance company) to fix major roof and siding issues. Don’t budget these are “first year” projects. Budget these as “30-day” projects!
A great time to start talking to an insurance agent about homeowners insurance is 30 days before you close or when your mortgage lender starts bugging you! Yes, you will want to do a multi-policy quote (even if you don’t end up switching your auto insurance- it is ALWAYS beneficial to do the quote!).
Yes, You need a home inspection
Period. Even if your dad tells you that you don’t.
Even if other people in today’s market are not getting one.
Even if you do not make your offer contingent on it.
Attend the home inspection. Ask questions.
You can still purchase your house if the home inspector tells you what is wrong with it, but at least you will know what they are. The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.
Your home insurance:
Buying your first home is a huge decision and a major investment. Your hard work has finally paid off. Now you need to protect your investment.
No one wants to think about the kind of misfortunes that can take away your prized possession. Things like:
- Heavy winds
- Hail
- Vandalism
- Theft
- Tornados
- Fires
But if you take the time to understand how insurance works and you pick a great agent, you will sleep better at night.
Why do we do a home AND auto quote when I’m just looking for home insurance?
In order to get the best possible price- you should always, always, always quote your price with a bundle. You don’t have to purchase the auto insurance portion of the package- but you should at least be open to exploring the option.
Many times- customers are certain that they are getting a great price on their auto insurance and are thinking that it would just be too much work to change auto insurance while going through the home buying process. Don’t worry- we take care of everything- including helping you get a refund if you have already paid your premium at your former insurance company.