Navigating the Homebuying Process

It’s no secret that the number of homes for sale currently is low. In today’s market it’s important to know your must haves, your wants, and your deal breakers. Of course, the first step to finding your next home is to get preapproved. Your lender will be able to tell you how much house you can afford and from there, you can start your search.

Starting with your list of must haves is key. This will be the most important list to make to prepare for your home search. It will save you from spending countless hours touring homes that don’t work for you. Once you have your list of must haves, make a list of things you’d like in a home, but are not deal breakers if a home does not have them. Think of them as bonus features. Lastly, create a list of deal breakers. For example, if you have young kids and do not want a swimming pool, a swimming pool would go on your list of deal breakers. Or vice versa, a swimming pool may be a must have for some people and thus, would go on their must have list.

Creating this list will make your home search less stressful. You can narrow down the properties you’d like to see by having this list done before you start looking at homes. If you’re a first time home buyer, you may not know what your must haves are and that’s ok too. Your real estate agent can help guide you and help figure out the features you need in a home.

It’s important to be prepared for your housing search. Currently, homes are going under contract quickly and often with multiple offers. If you know what you want before you find your dream home, you’ll be ready to act fast.

Your local real estate agent can create a search for you with all of your criteria and you will be alerted each time a new home is listed that meets your requirements.

As with everything in life, the best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.