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Many formulas and guidelines exist for buying a home along the coast of Huntington Beach With home values climbing rapidly since 2001, opportunities for leveraging your real estate dollar are substantial throughout the southland and in particular - along the coastal areas of Orange County, CA. Nonetheless, certain tried and true "rules of the road" always apply in any Real Estate transaction.

Know what you need. Your employment situation as well as the size and makeup of your household are prime considerations for establishing square footage, floor plan and location of your beach city home. Additionally, you'll want to consider garage and yard needs, schools and shopping as well as distance to work.

Know the maximum mortgage you can comfortably afford. While this seems obvious - try to think like a lender. Do your research and ask your agent for help in determining how much home you can buy. Unless you have substantial "buy down" power for the mortgage, you'll want to budget your mortgage payment in with your other financial obligations to insure a comfortable lifestyle. It is a good idea to discuss your financial situation in depth with your real estate agent. Your agent understands the cost of living in the Huntington Beach area and along the Orange County coast in general.

Where possible, get your mortgage approved in advance. Most home loan lending institutions will approve a loan range for new home buyers without requiring an accepted offer in hand. Contingencies that typically apply are only that the final offer must provide an LTV ratio that protects the bank for your credit profile.

Explore a number of neighborhoods that will fit your living requirements. Huntington Beach offers a lot of home buying opportunities in the coast area. In a beach city like Huntington Beach, there is little chance that you will make a "bad buy." For the most part, home values have increased continuously since they were incorporated in the early 1900s. Work with your Real Estate agent to select those areas that are most suited your needs.

Find a number of homes that are priced right for your budget and meet your needs. Talk with your real estate agent about some walkthroughs for those homes that most closely match your requirements. Create a check- list of items you want to verify are functional and not in need of any anticipated major repairs. For instance:

Outside: Is this a neighborhood where you will have to endure a lot of public parking in front of your home?; Are there significant number of campers and RVs parked along the curb and in "out front" driveways?; Landscape and landscape plumbing; Is there a capped oil well on or near the property?; Verify that all faucets are functional and do not leak; Fences; Condition of the driveway; Functionality of outside lighting; Visually inspect every single electrical outlet and verify that it works; Exterior paint and finish; Take a look at the roof… type, style, obvious deterioration such as missing and broken shingles; Exterior window frames, rubber insulation and screens; Sliding exterior glass and screen doors; Check under eaves and along the base of the house for obvious water damage and cracks; Visually inspect cable TV connections for obvious deterioration - ditto for broadcast reception antennas; Look for significant cracks and staining on the driveway; Ease with which garage doors open; If washer/dryer in the garage, inspect electrical and water hookups (later, you may ask for a cycle); If water heater is in the garage, inspect for obvious leakage and try to determine age
Inside: Check walls and ceiling for leak stains, bubbled paint, mold and other obvious deterioration; Check bare floors for cracks and "separation" at the wall junctures - and any wood rot - all rooms; Check carpeting for mildew and obvious deterioration. Visit the corners and edges of the room. Sniff!!; Visually inspect every single electrical outlet and make sure that it works; Open and close all doors to make sure they "latch" easily and, where possible, verify that the locks work. Listen for irritating squeaks.; Kitchen - confirm functionality and approximate age of all appliances that will remain. Ask about the behavior of the oven (ie. "it always heats about 25 degrees low below 300 and about 30 degrees low above 300", etc.); Check the kitchen sink and garbage disposal. Later, if you are serious, make sure it grinds effectively.; Bathrooms - go right for the toilets. Do they flush cleanly? Do they stop running? Exterior leaks? Vintage?; How is the bathroom shower? When the shower is on, if a tub/shower - does the lower faucet flow?; Does the tub hold water? How badly?; Stairs and stairwells. Check for creaking and loose railings.; How well will your furniture fit in this new home?

Once you've made your decision, consult with your agent to create the offer. Let your agent determine how to best negotiate with the seller or selling agent.

If your offer is accepted, finalize the financing. Like the prequalification - this can take some time and have cumbersome and irritating delays. Make sure you did your homework earlier.

Make sure your new home is properly insured before title passes to you.

If your plans include professional interior design services and the Designer wasn't previously involved in selecting the new home, now is the time to engage them.

Make your moving arrangements.

Insure that the prior owners have been removed from the utility billing and a new account is opened in your name.

Don't forget to check with the local school district on enrollment requirements and deadlines.

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