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By doing your homework before you buy, you’ll feel more content about your new home.  Most potential home buyers are a smidge daunted by the fact that they’re about to agree to a hefty mortgage that they’ll be paying for the next few decades. The best way to relieve that anxiety is to be confident you’re purchasing the best home at a price you can afford with the most favorable financing. These seven steps will help you make smart decisions about your biggest purchase. 1. Decide How Much Home You Can Afford Generally, you can afford a home priced two to three times your gross income. Remember to consider costs every homeowner must cover: property taxes, insurance, maintenance, utilities, and community association fees, if applicable, as well as costs specific to your family, such as day care if you plan to have children. 2. Develop Your Home Wish List Be honest about which features you must have and which you’d like to have. Handicap accessibility for an aging parent or...

Purchasing a home is the largest investment most people will ever make. To help insure that this investment is protected from the unexpected cost of the replacement or repair of a septic system, it is important that the system be inspected by a trained septic system inspector. Why Should You Request a Septic System Inspection?  Replacement of a system can cost $12,000 or more. Such an expense for a new homeowner may be substantial. Once a malfunctioning system is detected by the local plumbing inspector it usually must be replaced immediately, since it is a violation of the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules and is a health hazard that can potentially contaminate nearby wells. For your protection it is important to determine if a system is malfunctioning prior to purchase. Without an inspection it is impossible to know what is the condition of the system. What Does a Septic System Consist of?  A septic system is an underground treatment system that takes care o...