Mistake _11. Getting Family, Relatives, and Friends Too Involved

Not involving family or friends can sometimes be difficult. If mom and dad are putting up the down payment or cosigning on the mortgage, then they’ll be a big part of the deal. Otherwise, getting too many opinions can be worse than no opinions at all. Often, those whose opinions you seek will see your enthusiasm and support your decision, even if it’s a bad one. Or people who don’t know what they’re talking about will point out problems and bad mouth a good home.
Greg and Linda found this out when they bought their first home. Naturally, they were excited and wanted to get as many friends and relatives involved as they could. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out quite as they hoped. The more friends they took through the home, the more confused they got. Some friends loved it, others didn’t. One uncle even told them they were making a big mistake by moving into that neighborhood. After a week of getting bombarded by mixed messages, Greg and Linda developed such a bad case of buyer’s remorse that they called their agent and told him they were backing out. They couldn’t stand the pressure and would gladly forfeit their $500 deposit. So how do you avoid this situation?
First, rely on your agent, who is a professional and knows the areas and pitfalls.
Second, trust your own research. You’ve undoubtedly looked at a dozen or so homes in your price range, so you should have a pretty good idea of values and neighborhoods by the time you’re ready to make a decision.
Third, when you find a home you want to make an offer on, the last thing you want to do is involve Uncle Louie or Cousin Joe, who happens to be a contractor. Now matter how good they are, builders or contractors are not professional home inspectors. They may be skilled in their particular trade, but they’re not trained to find the potential problems a professional home inspector is. Don’t make the mistake of trying to save a few hundred dollars by short cutting the inspection process. Having anyone other than a professional inspect the house and give you a written report can come back to haunt you. Going back to the seller with a written report from a pro that the roof needs to be replaced carries some weight. Going back and telling the sellers that Uncle Louie says you have a bad roof doesn’t quite cut it.
The bottom line is to go with the advice of your buyer’s agent and home inspector; they’re the pros who can help you the most. If you want to involve family, relatives, and friends, have a barbecue at your new house after they help you move in.