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Real Estate: First-time homebuyer jitters

SAMANTHA BRIX PHOTO | Maureen Randazzo of Coram (left) tours a home in Rocky Point with realtor Maria Palmer.
Maureen Randazzo followed broker Maria Palmer up cement stairs to a sage green ranch nearly camouflaged by the green of the surrounding trees on quiet Jute Road in Rocky Point, and took a breath as Ms. Palmer turned the key.
Ms. Randazzo, 25, has been searching for her first home for about a month and she’s been worried, like many new buyers, about being able to afford her first abode.
The Coram resident also agonizes over unforeseen expenses — like a major appliance breaking or mold issues arising.
Ms. Palmer, an associate broker at Jolie Powell Realty in Port Jefferson, said brokers should address worries of new buyers at the beginning of the home-buying process and try to quell the first-time buying jitters.
She said she always ensures new buyers are well qualified for mortgages before they begin their searches, as financial doubt can cloud a buyer’s decision making. Buyers can feel more comfortable making offers on a house knowing they can afford it, she said.
“I’d rather see them go in for something that costs less than something that costs more, instead of pushing their limit to the maximum,” Ms. Palmer said.
In some cases, she recommends buyers purchase a one-year warranty to cover appliances, cesspool mishaps and other potential disasters.
Rachel Cole, owner of Pristine Properties in Mount Sinai, offers warranties for all buyers and especially encourages new buyers to take one. Her company pays for a warranty and if anything falls into disrepair, except for the roof, the homeowner can have it fixed for a $90 co-pay to the warranty company.
“It gives first time home buyers peace of mind,” Ms. Cole said. “There are so many things that could possibly go wrong. They know at least in the first year that if something goes wrong, they have that secondary insurance on it.”
John Lessler, a realtor at Coach Realtors in Mount Sinai said first time buyers often tense up more than other buyers when making their first offer on a home. Mr. Lessler, who began selling houses at the ripe age of 22, says he relates to younger buyers and their uncertainties. After 10 years in the industry, he said he’s identified a moment when buyers have found the right home.
“I explain to new buyers a feeling you get when you go into a home and it’s the right home,” said Mr. Lessler. “In the back of their minds they also think there’s something better out there that would better suit them. I comfort them and tell them it’s okay to make an offer on that property if they have that feeling.”
Brand new buyers also tend to ask their parents to tag along on house showings, a move Mr. Lessler said has the potential to burden buyers with additional worries.
“Parents usually have a different outlook on the property because parents have usually been in their home a long time and bought their home in a different market than today’s market,” he said. “It can be a shock to parents when they see a home for $300,000 that doesn’t have all the amenities as their home they paid $15,000 for.”
That’s why he finds it as essential to understand and address the concerns of parents as well as his customers.
As for Ms. Randazzo, she didn’t fall in love with the summer cottage-turned-ranch in Rocky Point, but she’s not inviting anyone else to see her prospective homes and offer their opinions.
“I don’t want too many minds in the mix,” she said.
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