10 Tips Every New Home Buyer Should Know

The biggest investment many of us will make is buying a house, and mistakes can be costly. To help weed through the home-buying jungle, we've gathered the knowledge and strategies every home buyer should know before beginning the hunt.

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Hide CaptionShow CaptionKnow your needs before making a commitment to buy.

- After the Sale
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By Stephanie Welch Alexander

First, examine your lifestyle. Do you long for bucolic pasturelands? Feel energized by urban cityscapes? Looking forward to a family-friendly suburban lifestyle? It's important to think of the limitations each locale places on your lifestyle and the perks each has to offer before making the commitment to buy.

Suburban lifestyles are flexible, offering children the opportunity to play outdoors and enjoy a neighborhood environment; urban areas offer greater social, culture, educational and career opportunities; rural environs offer privacy, room to roam and the ability to pursue hobbies — such as gardening — on a larger scale.

In addition to locale, it's important to think about the type of dwelling you're considering. Will you quickly outgrow that handsome city brownstone? Is a country cottage the perfect size? Will purchasing a condo allow you to forgo lawn and home maintenance and enjoy more leisure time?