Buying a home is a huge commitment, and it's important to get it right. Here are some homebuyer tips to help you get your dream home smoothly:

1.Don't buy after one visit. This is a common homebuyer mistake: you walk into the house on a beautiful morning and you just know that its the place for you. You rush through the paperwork at the agent's office and buy the house. Big mistake. Its best to make a few visits to the house at different times of the day. Check out the house in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evenings/night. You might find that the morning sun makes part of the house too hot, or the street lighting could just spoil the ambience at night. Also be sure to visit the neighborhood on Friday nights and on weekends. That'll give you an idea if the neighborhood is full of party people, or if there are lots of kids playing on weekends. Make sure you visit on a weekday too; you might find that there are lots of buses of traffic which you didn't see on a weekend.

2. Alway consider its resale value. You might like the property, but have you considered if it'd be easy to resell? A house that you find ideal may be hard to sell later on. Maybe the two bedroom house is perfect for you, but perhaps most buyers prefer a four bedroom house? The reality is that most people don't stay in their houses forever, and selling the house is something that you need to plan for. You don't want to be stuck with house that you can't sell, as that could make it difficult for you to fund the purchase of your next home.

3. Use the right agent. Find an agent that you're comfortable with, and who will guide you through the buying process. Buying a house is complicated, there are title searches to do, loans to arrange, and so on. You need someone who is going to ease your burden and explains the process to you, not a high-pressure sales person who is only interested in quickly closing the deal. Make sure you tell the agent what type of house you're looking for, and see that he/she is bringing you to houses that meet your criteria. There's an interesting article at Wired Magazine that the tell-tale signs when a Real Estate agent may not be working in your best interest (it's written from a home-seller's perspective, but the gist of it applies to buyers too).

4. Know the hidden costs of owning a house. Do some careful research to figure out what it costs to keep the house in shape. Are there neighborhood ordinances that you need to comply with? Have you factored in real estate taxes that you need to pay? Will you need to hire a gardener to help with the lawn? These hidden costs can seriously eat up your budget, so be sure to think it through. If not, you might end up agreeing to a price or a monthly payment that is higher than what you can actually afford.

5. Inspect the area for dangers. Is the area prone to flooding or landslides? Is there ground radiation or radon gas? Is the area prone to tropical storms or storm surges? Are there high tension power lines or power equipment nearby?

6. Inspect the house. Do a termite check. Inspect the septic tank (if there is one) to ensure that it complies with building codes and is large enough for the house. you have to. Is there mold in the walls? How is the plumbing and the electrical wiring? A seemingly beautiful home

7. Change the locks and keys. Once you have moved into your new home, be sure th change the locks and keys. There is no way to know who the previous owner may have given their keys to. Better safe than sorry.

8. Let the emotional "good feeling" be the reason for considering a purchase, but decide based on your budget. While it is important to love the house you're going to buy, don't let your emotions interfere with the buying decision. You should have an emotional "good feeling about a house" before you even think about buying it, but that feeling should not be the reason for buying it. Instead, make the buying decision based on your budget and financial plan. There is nothing worse than living in a house you love, but can't afford.

9. Check that the house can be insured. Check with insurance companies that the home can be insured. You may be surprised to find that some homes are not insurable because of past damage, or that their insurance premiums may be prohibitively expensive because they are in areas prone to flooding or storms.

With these tips, you'll be much better prepared for home-buying than most people!

Article Copyright © 2008: Wei L. Wang (Image credit: Sanjib Lemar)