You are here: Home Finances Real Property: ... Summary
Information about all aspects of finances affected by a serious health condition. Includes income sources such as work, investments, and private and government disability programs, and expenses such as medical bills, and how to deal with financial problems.
Information about all aspects of health care from choosing a doctor and treatment, staying safe in a hospital, to end of life care. Includes how to obtain, choose and maximize health insurance policies.
Answers to your practical questions such as how to travel safely despite your health condition, how to avoid getting infected by a pet, and what to say or not say to an insurance company.

Summary

Purchasing a home is not generally recommended for people who have been diagnosed with a serious health condition at least until there is medical stability for an extended term such as a year. There are too many disadvantages. On the other hand, there can be overriding factors such as the fact that the purchase of your own home is a life-long dream, may make you content or provide joy. There are other advantages as well to consider.

You may find a bargain if you purchase a foreclosed home from a bank. However, keep in mind that such homes usually require more repair than a house sold by a resident.

There are an ever growing number of ways to find a home that suits your needs financial and personal needs. In addition to brokers and local periodicals, the internet can help find a home that fits your criteria and learn about what it's like to live in the neighborhood. You can even learn about environmental and drought conditions.

If you aren't good at negotiating, ask a friend who is to do it for you, or hire a lawyer. It is not advisable to purchase a home without having it inspected first to learn about its real condition.

You cannot be discriminated against because of your health condition when purchasing a home or when applying for a mortgage loan thanks to the federal Fair Housing Act. A wise purchaser who needs a mortgage loan, contacts at least three potential lenders and considers using a mortgage broker to help find the best terms.

To Learn More

More Information

Housing: Legal Rights

Related Articles

New Uses of Assets: Real Estate

Advantages and Disadvantages of Owning A Residence

Real property is not a liquid investment. There is no flexibility. It also requires a lot of maintenance that you must either do yourself, even when you're not feeling well, or arrange for someone else to do it.

On the other hand, residences enjoy tax advantages and other advantages.

To Learn More

How To Find A Residence That Fits Your Needs And Budget

There a variety of ways to find a house. There's no reason to limit yourself to just one.

  • Real Estate Brokers. Preferably locate one that has been particularly helpful through a family member, friend or colleague. You can find a broker anywhere in the country at: www.brokersregistry.com offsite link
  • Family and friends who may have information about the area(s) in which you are interested.
  • Listings in local periodicals such as newspapers and area magazines.
  • Check the internet.       
    • Trulia.com offsite link. You can search for comprehensive information about available houses by city, town or zip code. The site includes photos, charts comparing the offering price to those of similar homes and sale prices in the area; a sales history for the house, and a link to a guide about local information. The site includes an email alert system which lets you know when properties that fit your search criteria are listed or sold. The site will even tell you when listed prices change.  The site also includes a community of real estate professionals you can ask questions without being pursued by the broker because you e mail address is hidden. Trulia relies on partners for accurate listings.
    • Zillow.com offsite link is also a comprehensive site which also estimates the value of homes, including homes that aren't listed for sale.It includes data about nearby schools, has mortgage calculators and uses online communities to answer questions.
    • RedFin Real Estate, at www.Redfin.com offsite link, has the same type of information as Trulia and Zillow for limited areas of the country.
    • EcoBroker.com offsite link helps find homes with energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features.
    • School information is available at GreatSchools.net offsite link(information by school district for private and public schools, including an analysis of each school and parent feedback), SchoolMatters.com offsite link (information about public schools only).
    • NOTE: When using information from internet sites, it is advisable to check the information that is critical for accuracy. Some of the information may be outdated.
  • Drive around in a neighborhood of interest to you with a mobile phone that can connect to applications such as Zillow and Trulia. Both systems use the GPS on your phone to recognize your location and point you to houses for sale in the area. Information includes the home's selling price. 

Factors To Consider When Purchasing A Residence

  • If you're purchasing a home for investment purposes, it is never a good idea to be the most expensive home on the block.
  • Health providers. For example, quality of, and distance to, nearby health facilities, including doctors, urgent care centers and hospitals. Average response time for ambulances.
  • Check what it's like to live in the house. For instance:
    • A web site such as Zillow.com offsite link gives you the low down on what happens in a neighborhood. Keep in mind that some of the postings on these sites may be no more than gossip or may be malicious attempts by a neighbor to get even with a seller.
    • Some sites tell you about stores and services in an area. For instance. www.Yelp.com offsite link and www.Outside.in offsite link
    • Learn about walkability (nearness to stores etc.) from Walkscore.com
    • Learn about drought history in the area at www.DroughtScore.com offsite link
    • Some sites provide information from residents about neighbors and local services. For example, see: StreetAdvisor.com, Rotten-Neighbor.com, www.YourStreet.com. Keep in mind that information from neighbors is not checked by the site, is subjective, and can be dishonest.
    • Crime statistics are available at www.Area-Connect.com/crime offsite link
    • Learn about local sex offenders at www.FamilyWatchdog.us offsite link
    • Real estate brokers are beginning to hold themselves out as consultants about local housing markets. For example, see: www.ActiveRain.com offsite link, www.Realtor.com offsite link
  • Learn about potential environmental hazards. For example:
    • The Environmental Protection Agency has a site that informs about levels of air and water waste pollution, hazardous-waste sites and releases of toxic chemicals in a given city, county or zip code. www.EPA.gov offsite link
    • Environmental Data Resources (www.edrnet.com offsite link) provides a report on hazardous or toxic waste sites near a property. As a general matter, you have to purchase a report from this company through a home inspector.
    • www.Neighboroo.com offsite link lists local air pollutants and water quality (and crime rates) for free.
  • Check to see about property tax hikes. Contact the local assessor's office to find out what has been happening recently in the neighborhood.
  • What it will cost to live in the neighborhood. The cost-of-living calculator at www.Bankrate.com offsite link will give you an idea.

Buying A House In Foreclosure

Banks don't want to be in the real estate business. They are likely to accept much less than the market value to get the home off of their books.

You can find a foreclosed home by contacting banks in your area. You can also search on the internet . For example:

Experts advise that you use a broker to help you purchase a foreclosed home from a bank. Banks prefer to deal with a pro. You can attempt to purchase a home at auction, but you have to be clear about the maximum you will bid before going in.

As a general rule, the longer the house has been on the market, the lower the price.

Keep in mind that homes owned by a bank usually require a lot of maintenance. People who are facing foreclosure tend to stop maintaining their home - and may even take fixtures or appliances. All the more reason to get a house inspected before purchasing.