If you have already spent hours weighing up all the pros and cons of taking the plunge and investing in real estate in Jamaica, and that all important purchase of your very first home, that in itself is a major hurdle crossed.  Most home searches today begin on the Internet and with just a few clicks of the mouse, you can search through a myriad of online listings, view photographs of prospective homes and even neighbourhoods.

So, after you’ve surfed the web and done some serious browsing, by the time you’re actually in touch with an agent or even going it alone, you already have a good idea of exactly what you’re looking for.

If you are going via the real estate agent route, try and use the services of an agent who has been recommended.  A really good agent will listen to your wants and needs and arrange to show only properties that fit your particular requirements.  In fact, your agent should preview potential properties before showing you to avoid any waste of time and energy.

If you’re a young couple intending to have children, focus on the size of the home, number of bedrooms and arrangement of space just as much as the price, if not more. A couple who have purchased a home suitable for one child might find themselves forced to cope with not enough room for years after having a second so you’ve got to be looking ahead.

When it actually comes to viewing properties, here are a few ‘do’s’ to bear in mind:

• Bring a digital camera along and get close-ups of the house as well as the neighbourhood, as the location of the property you eventually purchase is important when making such an investment.
• Check out the locality thoroughly so you get an inkling of how it will be in 5 or even 10 years – does it look well kept now?  Are the pavements and the actual road in good condition?
• Although there is no perfect way to estimate them, local employment conditions, the condition of the property and other factors might suggest the future direction of the area’s home prices.
• As well as photographing the homes that really spark your interest, make notes of any unusual features such as colour and design.
• It’s very important to pay keen attention to surroundings and what is next door or in very close proximity.  Who or what is your closest neighbour?  Is it a 2 or 3–storey home or a large structure towering over the single storey dwelling you have in mind?
• What about the location itself? Is it near to picturesque greenery, residential homes with landscaped gardens or a cell-phone tower?
• Is the neighbourhood truly residential or are there any unlawful businesses there, such as small garages or homes operating as bars?  In short, are Jamaican zoning laws in force?

When you have really looked thoroughly at the home you are seriously thinking of, rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, noting what you perceive as its distinct advantages and possible drawbacks.

After you’ve “done the rounds” on the Jamaican real estate market, you’ll probably know instinctively which home you really want.  It will be the one you keep harping on and remembering in your mind’s eye.   So, at this juncture, go and look again and see it with different eyes – notice elements you may have overlooked the first time.

And then…..

• Don’t let any agent or other party influence you unduly, after all, you will be the one living there and the final decision must rest with you.
• When you know you’ve found the perfect home, when you really have thought it all out and done your “homework”….Don’t procrastinate- buy it!!
• You might delay a purchase too long in the hopes of a price drop, only to find the opposite occurs or that mortgage rates increased.

Good Luck and shop well!