5 Tips for a Successful Home Search
No matter what market you are looking in to find your next home, the search can take some time. Inventory levels are still on the slim side and home prices continue to rise which can make things more challenging. The best thing to do is to tighten up your search and be as best prepared and focused as possible. Here are 5 tips for beginning your home search.
Mortgage Pre-Approval
This is essential, even if you purchased in the recent past. Your financial situation, credit or the rates may have changed since then and you will need to have a mortgage lender give you a pre-approval letter. This will only strengthen your offer as we will submit a copy along with it.
Needs and Wants
At the end of the day, there is no perfect house. Whatever you buy and customize will make it ultimately your home, but decide what things are “must haves” versus “would like to haves.” Chances are a great home will become available that hits your wish list items, but perhaps it may have a carport versus the garage you really wanted and you need to decide on what things you can budge on.
The Right Neighborhood
Every area is unique in its own way and offers different things. There are the obvious things that make sense like ease of commute to work or school district, but also see which area offers things that cater to your lifestyle for spare time activities. Finally, see what homes cost in each area of consideration as that can really dictate your options.
The Right Home Style
Once you have evaluated your needs for simple things like bed and bath count, you may want to consider your lifestyle and needs in terms of type of home. For some, condo living with the ease of maintenance and social setting is ideal, where others prefer having their own yard and privacy that comes with a single family. Decide on what works best for you and focus on that for your search.
Make Notes
Once you begin touring homes they can sometimes blend together. It can be a helpful tip to not only make notes about them in general so you remember, but also list out what you like and don’t like about them. This can sometimes help you figure out just what you are willing to compromise on.