As a buyer of Ponte Vedra homes for sale, here are a few pointers you should remember to help you during the complex process of home buying.

COMMON MISTAKES IN HOME-HUNTING

Most of the time, people get a lose-lose situation in striking a deal instead of a win-win one because they let their emotions come too much into play. People tend to be too attached to small contingencies they demand to put down on paper. Bear in mind that it’s not a contest for negotiations, but a deal to come up with an agreement that you and the sellers are definitely happy. Another thing is being very late in meeting up with the realtors; annoying them would lead to mishaps here and there.

PAYING THE DOWNPAYMENT

If you can afford to go as high as twenty percent for the down payment, then by all means, go for it. You’re most likely to get approved by the bank; you don’t have to pay for private mortgage insurance, and you get instant equity too. But really, it isn’t realistic. It will definitely make you look very good to the lender, but for a lot of people it is a stretch. Remember that you also have to attend to other closing costs, and that it will need a lot of money. You still have to attend to maintenance, refurnishing and redecorating, move-in and agent costs - a lot else to deal with.

ON MAKING AN OFFER ON A HOUSE

Know your market, what you can afford, and what you’re willing to pay. Remember that Ponte Vedra real estate is local in nature, so what you're seeing on TV would not always apply to the market you’re in. Work with tried and tested agents, where you can see what houses are selling for and get a sense for whether houses are selling quickly or languishing for a while. And it's not just dependent on the market -- it's also dependent on what you can afford, what you're willing to pay. Another thing that can be worth doing is to ask your realtor to look up recent sales from the listing agent and to compare the asking price with the selling price, because that gives you a sense of how that particular agent prices homes. If the selling price is consistently 6 percent under the asking price, then you know that agent is going to think 6 percent under is a pretty reasonable offer. Find a house you can fall in love with, but also be really level-headed about what you can afford. And hopefully you'll get a good result.