Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home (70 page)

•
Your purchase contract.
Your contract will probably contain a clause titled or mentioning “possession.” That clause will most likely say that the seller must deliver possession at closing (in other words, you can move in then). However, in a few states, different arrangements are common—for example, that buyers can’t take possession for two days after the closing (as in Colorado), or that the seller can stay for up to seven days after paying a deposit (as in New York). Also, you may have agreed to give the seller extra time, perhaps to move out or close on another property.

Tunes to Celebrate By

 

Here are some house-inspired songs to play as you dance with joy:

• “Our House,” by Madness (“Our house, in the middle of our street … Our house, was our castle and our keep …”)

• “This Is Not the House That Pain Built,” by Dar Williams (“My house is hard to find, but I’ll give you directions, You can visit sometime …”)

• “Our House,” by CSNY (“I’ll light the fire, you put the flowers in the vase that you bought today …”)

• “More Than One Way Home,” by Keb’ Mo’ (“Well there’s more than one way home, Ain’t no right way, Ain’t no wrong …”)

• “Come-On-A My House,” by Rosemary Clooney (“Come on-a my house my house, I’m gonna give you candy …”)

• “Home,” by Bonnie Raitt (“And all through my brain, Came the refrain, Of home and its warming fire.”)

• “Spiritual House,” KMFDM (“This house is built, On a foundation of love …”)

 

 

•
Your state’s practices around waiting for the deed to be recorded.
Although the house is yours once the title has been transferred from the seller to you, the deal isn’t technically closed until the deed has been recorded with the appropriate government office. And customs regarding whether you’ll need to actually wait for the recording to receive the keys and take possession are stricter in some states than in others. In Massachusetts, for example, recording is taken very seriously, and ZipRealty’s Nancy Atwood says, “You may have to wait for 45 minutes at the closing attorney’s office until the messenger has recorded the deed.” By contrast, in Michigan, where most closings take place at a title insurance office, Fred Steingold says, “Once all the papers have been signed, the seller receives the payment check and simultaneously gives the buyer the keys. The seller, buyer, and lender all rely on the title company to take care of recording the deed.”

• tell the world where you are

• get comfortable socially

• make sure your new home is as safe as it can be

• decorate, design, and remodel on a budget

• organize your records and finances, and

• get back on your feet financially.

•
Electricity, water, and gas companies.
Call your local providers and arrange for your new account. The seller has probably told you whom to contact. If not, search for “utilities” in a directory like Yahoo!’s (
http://dir.yahoo.com
).

•
Trash collectors.
You can find your local waste management provider by checking a local phone book or contacting your city government. If you’re in a condo or co-op, this may be part of your monthly fees—check with the association.

•
Telephone, Internet, and TV provider (cable/satellite).
It may be economical to subscribe through one provider for phone, Web, and cable TV, or now may be a good time to check out the latest satellite deals. If you’re interested in forwarding phone calls from your previous number, contact your previous provider to find out your options.

•
Postal Service.
Fill out a Change of Address form online at
www.usps
gov, or do it at a post office. This forwards your mail for 12 months, except periodicals, which are forwarded for only 60 days.

•
Subscriptions.
You can often update your address at a periodical’s website. Don’t forget to contact alumni magazines or newsletters you get from nonprofits, too. And what about your favorite retail catalogs?

•
Credit card companies.
Make sure creditors know where you are—you’d hate to get behind on a payment when you’ve just proved how responsible you are.

•
Department of Motor Vehicles.
Go to your state’s DMV website or
www.dmv.org
to get information on updating your car registration and driver’s license.

•
Parking permit provider.
If you need a residential parking permit, you’ll need to let the appropriate permit-issuing entity know. Try your new city’s website.

•
Registrar of voters.
Go to
www.nased.org/membership.htm
for links to every state’s elections offices, which have change of address forms online.

•
www.thestationerystudio.com

•
www.movingannouncementstore.com

•
www.lucyspapermoon.com

Thanks a Million! (Or $200,000)

 

Your real estate agent probably spent a lot of time and energy helping you find the perfect abode—and maybe even gave you a nice gift. For a good agent, consider a similar gesture: a bottle of champagne, a CD for use when driving clients to showings, or a quality pen to write up offers. And remember, the best gift of all is referring others to your agent.

 

A fun and cheap method of announcing your move is to share photos of your house online. Try the following free image-hosting websites, some of which will even create custom slideshows for you to share on your Web page or social networking profiles (like MySpace or Facebook):

•
www.photobucket.com

•
www.flikr.com

•
www.imageshack.com
.