Buyer Guide
12 Costly Mistakes Western New York Buyers Make
A few avoidable missteps can cost Western New York buyers thousands. Here are twelve to watch for, and how to avoid each one.
- Shopping before pre-approval. You fall for a home you can’t finance, or lose it to a buyer with a letter in hand.
- Budgeting only for the mortgage. Leave out taxes, insurance and water/sewer and you’ve missed the costs that vary most by town in WNY.
- Ignoring the school district line. Your mailing address and school district often don’t match. Verify the district by tax parcel.
- Assuming taxes stay the same. A sale can trigger a reassessment, and the seller’s exemptions (STAR, senior, veteran) don’t transfer to you.
- Waiving inspection to win. Instead, consider an “information only” inspection or a capped repair threshold.
- Skipping the sewer scope. It’s one of the most expensive surprises in older neighborhoods.
- Underestimating a fixer-upper. Contractor availability and permit timelines in WNY can stretch a 2-month rehab to 6.
- Forgetting winter. Roof age, ice dams, heating cost and driveway length matter more here than in most markets.
- Not checking flood zone. New York’s updated disclosure form now asks about flood zones and flood insurance. Read it.
- Hiring the attorney late. You only get 3 business days for approval.
- Taking on new debt before closing. See the credit list.
- Not reading the survey. Fences, sheds and driveways over the line are common on older city lots.