The old saying, “you will know it when you see it” applies more to home buying than anything else you may ever do. So you found a house, you like the curb appeal, you like the neighborhood, and you like the layout of the house. So where do you start? There are a few preliminary matters to consider.

First, every home owner wants to know what school district the home is in. However, you can NOT assume that because the school has the same name as the community in which the home is located that you will be in that school district. It happens that school district lines do not necessarily follow the boundaries of the community in which you may purchase. At times, a home located near the community boundary is serviced by the neighboring school district. ASK. You need to ask that question. What school district is this house in?

Second, it is important to know how much the real estate taxes are on the home. While you can accurately predict how much the principal and interest will be on the mortgage you intend to seek, real estate taxes are an item over which you have no control. Be sure that the taxes on your intended home are an expense that you can afford, knowing that the taxes will certainly go up over time.

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