1. Neighborhood insights

homebuyers wished they understood the neighborhood they were buying in better. Like safety, quality of school, and long-term growth potential.

If you ask "how's neighborhood safety here?" Your realtor might have no clue.

So you can go to places like niche.com or crimegrade.org or greatschools.org

Knowing how the neighbors are is very important.

Is it family-centered? Tons of kids running around and playing?

Does the neighbor frequently get drunk and throw flaming marshmallows into your yard?

Do the neighbors howl at full moons at midnight?

2. Seller motivation and property history

"Why is the seller moving?"

Buyers don't want to get trapped when the seller is trying to escape.

3. Market trends (property value)

Is the sales price really worth it compared to nearby sales?

Are values trending up in this area?

4. Inspection help

What needs to be inspected?

There are a lot of things you can inspect for like meth, radon, general inspection, roof, foundation with a structural engineer.

What's necessary?

5. Closing costs

Buyers sometimes don't know all of the fees until they're knee-deep.

This is more geared toward a loan officer, but an agent should help you get a good sense of what will be required.

"How much will I need to pay out of pocket?"

6. Negotiation strategies

I think a buyer always wants a good deal.

Can your agent give any guidance?

Is a house sitting on the market for a while a good bet to low-ball?

Are you wasting people's time by low-balling?

Will sellers pay for your closing costs?

7. House features and issues

This might fall under "inspection guidance" but there are little quirks about a house that buyers find out later.

Like that the hot water knob is actually cold, and vice versa.

Or basics on getting the digital thermostat working because you aren't tech savvy.

Are there any quirks to the home?

Are there any annoyances?

8. Closing process and timing

Scheduling the final steps can be confusing.

Do I wire the money first, then sign? Or the other way around?

9. Contract questions

Buyers wish they understood the importance of their deadlines and the actions they need to take to stay within contract terms.

Questions like: "What happens if I inspect it, and don't like the home. Can I cancel?"

10. Post-closing support

Once the house is purchased, does the agent just vanish? Will the agent stick around and help if you need assistance with setup?

There are a bunch more questions, but those are the main ones I've seen.

Bonus - Things I think you should be asking (on the finance side)

Because I'm on the finance side of things, here are some questions I think you should be asking:

How much are utilities?

The home could be an energy sucker, you've gotta budget for this stuff.

Are there fees that aren't on the loan estimate that could pop up?

Yes, there are, like your realtor probably has a ~$500 brokerage fee that the lender doesn't know about. There could be an HOA transfer fee that the seller isn't covering according to the contract.

Is there anything I can do to boost my credit score?

Would that have an impact on my closing costs?

I've helped people save thousands by paying off and deleting collection accounts, boosting their score and improving their loan terms

Are there better down payment assistance programs than this one?

You should look at all options if you're getting down payment assistance.

Some programs are forgivable, some don't charge interest, some charge interest and are paid back on loan terms

Is FHA really the best route?

See if you can get a side by side comparison between FHA and Conventional loan options.

Can I get a rate higher than the market rate?

You may want to explore getting a higher rate in exchange for lender credits which offset closing costs.

This is useful if you have good monthly income, but are cash-poor for the upfront expenses.

Sam