Considering a purchase - start here

If you are considering buying a home, whether you're a first-time buyer or your housing needs have changed, there are a few things you should know before making a move. 

The 35+ years I have spent in the real estate business, including the many moves I have made myself have taught me that there are some common success strategies and pitfalls that make or break a successful home purchase. 

I'm going to highlight a couple of them here that will hopefully help you when you decide to move. 

Step 1: Get Pre-Approved
Before you start browsing, get pre-approved for a mortgage. Knowing your budget and where you want to live are key, I will address knowing where you want to live in a future post, for now we'll focus on budget. Falling in love with a house that's out of your price range leads to disappointment and makes it very hard to find something you like within your budget - you will constantly compare homes to ' the one you can't afford'. Be realistic about your budget and understand, especially if this is your first home, this is a stepping stone - and will lead to future success. You can't save as fast as you can build equity. 

On the other side, some buyers don't realize that they can afford more house, and let me be clear that this isn't about becoming house poor, if you are looking in a price range that's too low, you will quickly become discouraged and give up searching.  Having a pre-approval gives you options, it doesn't mean you have to buy at the top of your budget, it allows you to make an educated decision about what to buy. 

Lastly, having a pre approval puts you in a much better position to negotiate with a seller, the ability to present a strong offer is powerful 📑💰 

Step 2: Know What You Want

Are proximity to family and work important to you?  Knowing what is important to you and conveying that to your realtor at the very beginning of your relationship will help  when emotion takes over. We all buy homes with our hearts and then justify with our heads. So knowing that a short commute is important to you and why, helps me when you start to stray outside your area and fall in love with a house that's outside your target area. It doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it, it just means I can get you to think again about how important the commute is. I've had many clients over the years who have told me they want one thing and then buy something totally different, and guess what, none of them have regretted their decision because they went in with their eyes wide open. 

This may be hard to believe, but I have never had a buyer regret the home buying decision they made, I have however, heard many times ' I wish I had bought that house' or ' I should have done this sooner'.  It's the things we don't do that lead to regret. 

I'm here to guide you through the process every step of the way.

 If you have a question about your unique situation that you need an answer to, reach out, I’m always happy to help!

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