We’ve Looked at So Many Houses, Shouldn’t I Know By Now?

In our current market situation, grabbing a home before it gets scooped up should not be a worry. Still if the house is a good buy, in a good neighborhood, with some nice amenities, it will sell soon, and as we all know it seems that a house can be on the market for what seems like forever, and as soon as you show some interest, it's under contract, no matter what market we are dealing with.

Some people react differently to home searching, after looking at say 20 - 30 homes, there are people that get confused, and those that learn to narrow down what they are looking for. Of course as Realtors, we should have gotten a clue after looking at 20/30 homes with a client. In reality a professional agent should know after just a few homes what the client is looking for.

Realtors can assist their clients in the process by managing direction.

First and foremost know what you can afford, get pre-approved for a mortgage loan, know the limit of what the lender is willing to loan. Then and very importantly go home and figure what YOU can afford. The two can be very different, and can be the difference between a satisfying home ownership experience, and a future looking at foreclosure.

Know WHERE you want to live, what neighborhood qualities are important to you, close to parks, shopping, or maybe schools. Different people have different priorities. Knowing how far you are willing to commute to work each day is another important consideration. To some, two hours is not a problem, to others being in close proximity to the family is priority one. Everybody is different.

Finally, make a list of house priorities that are of utmost importance to you. Do the kids require a pool, or does a two car garage carry the most weight? It is a good idea to ask your agent to print out each of the listings you are going to be viewing so that you can take notes on the back of the sheet. By the end of the day it is amazing how your memory of one home melts into the others.

Try and simplify the process, and don't put a number on the viewings before a buy. Using the tips above can streamline the process and make it all work for everyone involved.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.