3 Things for Homebuyers to Do Now

All real estate is local but it looks like, in the country as an aggregate, we’re going to have a decent spring market. The projected expiration of the first-time homebuyer tax credit in June (but you have
to be in contract by April) should drive sales. Also, prices aren’t
bad: “It now costs less to own than it has in well over a decade on a
mortgage-payment-to-rent basis,” noted Wall Street Journal blogger Nick Timiraos in a piece on renting last week.

So now that we have the Interwebs — and even apps that show listings on our mobile phones— buyers can just pick their home out of a catalog, right?

Wrong. If you’re going to be careful with your money, make sure you do these three things: