Michael Petruccelli asks; What are some tips for giving your credit score a boost? (1)

Michael Petruccelli says; Your credit score can change your life. Much like your final grade summarized your command of a course in school, your credit score is the distillation of everything in your credit history.  If you want to see the most commonly used ‘final grade – your FICO credit score – you’re expected to pay $19.95. That’s not fair.

Michael Petruccelli asks; What are some tip for the first time home buyer? (9)

Michael Petruccelli says;  Making the Selection To Buy a Home

I'll let you in on a little secret. I generally know which home a buyer is going to choose, and I suspect most other agents operate the same way. It's an intuition. But I make it a practice not to steer buyers, and I insist that buyers choose the home without interference from me. It's not my choice to make.

Real estate agents are required, however, to point out defects and should help buyers feel confident that the home selected meets the buyer's search parameters.

Michael Petruccelli asks; What are some tip for the first time home buyer? (8)

Michael Petruccelli says;  View Top Choices a Second Time Before Buying That First Home

After touring homes for a few days, you will probably instinctively know which one or two homes you would like to buy. Ask to see them again. You will see them with different eyes and notice elements that were overlooked the first go-around.
At this point, your agent should call the listing agents to find out more about the sellers' motivation and to double-check that an offer hasn't come in, making sure these homes are still available to purchase.

Michael Petruccelli asks; What are some tip for the first time home buyer? (7)

Michael Petruccelli says; How a First-Time Home Buyer Can Rate Inventory

*  Bring a digital camera and begin each series of photos with a close-up of the house number to identify where each group of home photos start and end.

*  Take copious notes of unusual features, colors and design elements.

*  Pay attention to the home's surroundings. What is next door? Do 2-story homes tower over your single story?

*  Do you like the location? Is it near a park or a power plant?

*  Immediately after leaving, rate each home on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.

Michael Petruccelli asks; What are some tip for the first time home buyer? (6)

Michael Petruccelli says;  The "Red Shoes" Experience for a Home Buyer

Women will relate to this. Say, you need a new pair of red shoes. You go to the mall. At the first shoe store, you find a fabulous pair of red shoes. You try them on. They fit perfectly. They are glamorous. Priced right, too. Do you buy them? Of course not! You go to every other store in the mall trying on red shoes until you are ready to drop from exhaustion. Then you return to the first store and buy those red shoes. Do not shop for a home this way. When you find the perfect home, buy it.

Michael Petruccelli asks; What are some tip for the first time home buyer? (5)

Michael Petruccelli says;  How Many Homes Will a Home Buyer See?

Studies show that your memory dramatically improves after consumption of carbs and slows upon consuming sugar. So, lay off the soft drinks and have a hearty meal of carbs before venturing out to tour homes. The average number of homes that I show to a buyer in one day is seven. Any more than that, and the brain is on overload. Therefore, don't expect to see 20 or 30 homes; although it's physically possible to do so, you probably will not remember specific details about any of them.