Looking to own your first home?

Buying your first home is one of those life changing moments.  

 .. Just want to know what properties are currently available ?   

 Call or text me at 816 813 0729 I’m here to help you.

My own experience of buying our first home was probably no different to many.

I left school, at the age of 18, worked for an Estate Agency in Reading. It was quite a large firm with six locations and five partners (owners). There was no way I could afford to buy anything on my starting salary, which was 1 guinea a week !

It wasn’t until after I went to college for four years, obtained my second job that I could afford to buy. My girlfriend (later my first wife) and I rented a two bedroom apartment in Croydon, Surrey. Our rent was a whopping $200 a month in 1975.

About six months after renting we happened to walk past an Wates estate agents in Crystal Palace. In the window was a superb luxury one bedroom flat in a block of twelve, complete with parking, a garage and an outside storage room, inside each apartment there was a drying cupboard, and even a bidet in the bathroom. It was for sale at $18000.

We went in and spoke to the agent, who explained these luxury flats were few and far between. We soon discovered we could purchase it with our joint incomes, and a 10% deposit. In fact our monthly expenses went down by $30, and we collected tax relief on the payments another $30 saving. We also were able to purchase a with profits life insurance policy that would pay out at the end of our mortgage ( it did very well ). Today such policies have not been so good.

The other thing we were able to do was to create a fully transferable mortgage, which meant that as we moved so the mortgage moved with us and all we needed to do was take out an additional top up one to cover any price difference.  This saved quite a lot of money.

We decided to purchase the apartment, it was on a 125 year lease, with a $50 ground rent and a very low maintenance upkeep fee.

We moved after two years, the very first person to view bought, and we made $24000 profit.  So after agents fees, solicitor fees, moving expenses our two-year stay resulted in a substantial profit. Our next house had a mortgage that was much lower percentage wise than this our first purchase.

We learned a very valuable lesson, thanks to the agent the first rule of buying is :-

Location, Location, Location.

He did add that we should develop a wish list. It’s something I have always recommended the thousands of clients I have worked for over the years.

• if you would like a wish list template just send me an email   chris@chriscoope.com seems there is no right way to create a list, although I might suggest that each couple produce their own ‘first list’.

Another helpful aid is to develop a box to store newspaper clippings, magazines pictures, computer print outs of all the things you would like to include in your home. It’s surprising how many things will be saved, some may be color schemes, others more practical like bedroom sizes. Of course your final list will usually be a compromise gleaned from both of your final lists.

• if you would like me to see what’s currently available in Missouri or Kansas and you haven’t signed  a contract with another licensed agent give me a call on 816 813 0729
• I work in the Wingman Real Estate team at
• KW Partners Inc  6850 College Blvd, Overland Park, Ks 913 906 5400
  

 

Visits: 209