Choosing a Home

In addition to single family homes (one home per lot), there are other forms of home ownership:

Multi-Family Homes

Some buyers, particularly first-timers, start with multiple family dwellings, so they’ll have rental income to help with their costs. Many mortgage plans, including VA and FHA loans, can be used for buildings with up to four units, if the buyer intends to occupy one of them.

Condominiums

With a condo, you own “from the plaster in” just as you would a single house. You also own a certain percentage of the “common elements”–staircases, sidewalks, roofs and the like. Monthly charges pay your share of taxes and insurance on those elements, as well as repairs and maintenance. A homeowners association administers the development.

Co-ops

In a few cities, cooperative apartments are common. With those, you purchase shares in a corporation that owns the whole building, and you receive a lease to your own apartment. A board of directors supervises management. Monthly charges include your share of an overall mortgage on the building.

Most buyers’ first consideration, after neighborhoods are chosen, is the number of bedrooms. As you begin to view homes, keep the following purchase and resale considerations in mind:

Weigh your needs, purchase and maintenance budgets, and personal tastes in deciding whether you want a home that’s a newly constructed home, an older home or a home that requires some work, or a "fixer-upper" .
One-bedroom condos are more difficult to resell than two-bedroom ones
Two-bedroom/one-bath single houses generally have less appeal than three or more bedroom houses to many buyers, and therefore less appreciation potential
Homes with “curb appeal” (a well-maintained, attractive, and charming view-from the street appearance) are the easiest to resell
When re-sale is a possibility, don’t buy the most expensive house on the street, or anything that is unusual or unique
The biggest, most expensive house on the block is not usually considered to be the best investment. The best investment potential is traditionally found in a lesser expensive, more moderately sized home on the street.

Note: While house-hunting, it’s a good idea to make notes about what you see because viewing several houses at a time can be confusing.