Things to Keep in Mind When Buying a House

Condos are great for when you're single. However, when you get married and start a family, your once spacious single bedroom condo may not be large enough to accommodate the jump in the number of residents. As such, most people begin to look into purchasing a house off the real estate market.

Before looking at houses, it would be a good idea to get an updated copy of your credit report. A good credit standing can help attract sellers and real estate agents. This also makes applying for mortgage loans a faster process, and allows you to correct any mistakes.

As always, location is important when it comes to real estate. Try to choose a house in a convenient location for you; know how far it is from your office, your child's school, etc. Homes that are too far may require you to spend more for transportation which will only inconvenience you.

Also, it's advisable to be present as the house inspector goes from room to room in order to get a clear understanding of any problems present in a house. This will give you a better sense of any repairs or changes that may need to be made if you decide to purchase a house. The results of a house inspection can also be used as a bargaining tool. If the owner or agent does not allow you to hire a house inspector to assess the house, cross it off your list and move on.

A Look at the Advantages to Living in a Condo

Multiple surveys by different bodies, such as Mercer and the Economist Intelligence Unit, all place the Canadian city of Vancouver as one of the top ten most liveable cities in the world. This has been an honor Vancouver has constantly been receiving over the years.

Due to majestic scenery, a vibrant nightlife, and a reputation as one of Canada's largest industrial centers, Vancouver attracts tourists from all over. Some visitors are so enamored with the city that they decide to move in. With a population of 603,500 in 2011 (and still growing), people migrating to Vancouver have been benefiting from the condominium market.

There are a number of advantages to living in a condominium, especially for single people. In general, condominiums are located in important business hubs; as such, employees can live right around the corner from their office. This can save a person a lot of money that would have been spent on fares. Also, condos are typically located near shopping and entertainment centers. As they say in real estate, “location, location, location”.

Condos are considerably safe due to a 24-hour concierge and security staff. Many high class condominiums offer key card elevators that only provide access to public floors and the floor a person's unit is located.

The responsibility for maintenance is generally limited to a person's unit. Outer maintenance such as lawn mowing or shoveling snow is usually the role of a condo's maintenance staff. As such, people that dislike such work find condominium life pleasant.