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If you're thinking about buying a house, you'll have a number of things that you'll want to specifically look into before you do. This article will give you a number of suggestions about exactly what factors to look into before you make the big plunge into being a homeowner.

First, always ask around among the neighbors before you buy. You'll be surprised about what might turn up. If there's been bad blood, a neighbor might be willing to reveal every problem they know about with the house. They'll also be able to clue you in to things that may not be a problem with the house in particular but may be with the neighborhood in general. This can include a number of things.

Remember to ask about: whether the house or the neighborhood is in a flood zone, whether there are any problem neighbors nearby, whether they know of any previous damage, and whether there is a crime problem. You can probably think of about a dozen other things to ask - talk with several neighbors, and if you find the local gossip, you'll be in on everything you need to know.

Always make sure that you document what representations the owner makes to you about the house - it could come in handy later, especially if there are major undisclosed problems with it. Do a little searching on the internet - you can always do a search for the name of the homeowner and see if anything interesting comes up. If there's something shady or they're untrustworthy, you want to know about it. By the same token, you can often easily see if they are legitimate that way. Make sure that you've had a title search done - your real estate agent will probably take care of it, but it's a must-have. Hire a handyman to inspect the place if you aren't good with that sort of thing - or just get someone you trust to look around. It doesn't take much to make sure that your house will be a good investment.