Homebuyers in 2012 have some advantages over prospective buyers in other years: low interest rates and low home prices in most markets. Those advantages don't necessarily translate into confidence about a home purchase. Buyers want to be sure they are buying a home that will at least maintain its market value, if not appreciate over the coming years. In order to feel more certain about their choice of home, today's buyers desire a property that meets the three main factors that make a residence a good value: price, condition and location.
Roxanne Gennari, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Princeton Junction, N.J., says local real estate markets across the country vary in their strength.
"Since no one knows when the market will truly level out and values will start to climb, buyers are trying to insulate themselves from buying an overvalued home," Gennari says. "Buyers are looking for the best deal they can get. In many cases, they only want to buy if they can get a house at a certain price."
Here are six important items on homebuyers' checklists in 2012.