Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Unless You Buy it First

by Tani Wouters

Santa Claus is coming to town, unless of course you buy it first! Indecision about a property can sometimes cause you to miss out on purchasing the home of your dreams, while it's on the market. So, sometimes we need to make a thorough list of what we expect to find in a home, so we'll know exactly what we're looking for. Take a look at the article below. Even the first step "Decide where you want to live" is so important when considering your real estate investment. You may come to realize that even though you'd prefer a certain location over another, you're long term goals are better served by purchasing in a location you wouldn't normally concider. When you think you've worked through some of these important criteria and would like some further help with a search, please contact me. I may be able to help shed some light on any criteria holding up your decision making process by providing property comparisons. Santa already knows what you want for Christmas, the question is …does he want that property too?

In the market to buy a home? Make a list and check it twice.

Posted in Buying by Tara Sharp

Are you thinking of buying a home, and you aren’t sure exactly where to start? Here is a checklist to help you get ready to make your home dreams come true:

Decide where you want to live! Are you where you want to be? Generally, you will want to plan on staying in your home for at least 5-7 years in order for you investment to pay off, so it’s important to look at homes in an area that will meet your needs over the long term.

Explore the market. Once you know where you will be looking for homes, you can start to explore. Get to know the neighborhoods, the school districts, the local businesses, and community amenities.

Make a list of what you need and want. Create a list of the things in a home that are most important to you. Like the number of bedrooms/bathrooms, home features, commute times, etc. Then make a list of things that you would like to have, but aren’t as important, such as a fireplace, a large back yard, or a pool. It may help you to create a Pinterest board with your favorite home features that you can share with your agent when you’re ready to start looking.

Search for comparable houses in your market. Once you know where you’d like to buy and what type of house you’re looking for, you can start to realistically assess how much it will cost. Use an online search tool like windermere.com to see what’s for sale in your preferred neighborhood(s) and the value of the homes.

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