Here are 5 of the responses from a recent survey of buyers who were asked what they regret about buying.

1. “I wish I had put more effort into finding a good Realtor instead of assuming it didn’t matter. We lost thousands because of an inexperienced agent.” Don’t let this happen to you! Call me (or refer me to your friends) for experienced real estate representation.

2. “I regret buying the right size home for the ‘now’ rather than the future … I’d say if you want two bedrooms, look for properties with three.” This won’t be the case for everyone, and many people say the opposite–that they wish they’d bought smaller. My advice is to look at how you’ll live in that house for the next 5-7 years.

3. “I wish we would have set aside more money and had gotten individual inspections by professionals on top of the overall inspection.” I’ve said it before and will again…a home inspection is only the first inspection. Its purpose is to show you what specialist inspections you should be getting.

4. “Get as much insurance as you can reasonably afford, not just the minimum.” Again, this depends on your situation, but certainly if you’re in a danger zone, insure yourself against the likeliest issues.

5. “I regret not using a local lender. I went with a big online mortgage company. They didn’t know about a specialty program that could have saved me thousands. They were a one-size-fits all company.” Local lenders tend to have a lot of knowledge, plus you can talk to them in person.

Text or call me for referrals to local lenders. 865.415.6008