I want a 3 bedroom home...no wait make it 4! Home Buyers and Their Changing Criterias

I want a 3 bedroom home...No Wait Make it 4!  Home Buyers and Their Changing Criterias

Working with first time home buyers continues to be the most challenging yet rewarding real estate experiences of my career.  They are excited, golden and full of energy.  In my opinion,  savvier and more knowledgable than past decade buyers due to information accessibility in this computer age.  Although open to suggestions, they will also research and weigh the material facts laid out before them as they do their best to make the most informed decisions when it comes to buying their first home. 

However, I have noticed that no matter the buyer, whether first time home buyer or seasoned, laid back personality or difficult, the snare that is almost a guarantee with each and every one of them during the househunting experience, is that of the buyer(s) allowing their wants to slowly take precedence over their needs when it comes to their evolving search criteria, regardless as to whether or not their budget can truly accomodate the expansion.  Heck , it even happened to me many years ago when I was searching for a home.  What's that all about?  You'd think it would be the exact opposite as reality met budget.

The original starter home list starts out looking like this:

• Desirable location
• 2 bedroom, but if we can get 3 - great!
• 1 bath
• 2 car garage
• It's ok if it needs updating or minor fixer work, after all it is our first "starter home"

_____

Then a week or two later, the "refurbished criteria" is hardly recognizable from the original model you first viewed or discussed and now looks like this: 

• The most desirable location
• 3 - 4 bedrooms
• 2 bath (one must be part of master suite)
• Remodeled kitchen with granite countertops
• Turn-key
• 2 car garage with enough room to accomodate a workshop, classic car hobby, and future eBay business

___

Now don't get me wrong!  Getting you the most for your money is what I do!  In fact it's what I love most about negotiations!  If it turns out that we can expand the criteria, keep you in your most desired area and stay in a price range that will not have you on a diet of PB&Js or eating bowls of cereal with a fork to save on milk for the next few years just to afford the payments, then heck yeah - of course we'll go for it!  But in LA County's most desirable areas "Mo House" usually means "Mo money".  If it turns out that your budget can only accomodate the "needs" list while still keeping you in your top desirable area, sending me blingy listings that are clearly beyond your budget is not going to frustrate me more than it will frustrate you.  Lowballing in highly desirable areas will not produce favorable results.

Lets get back to the original criteria of first fulfilling your needs and then adding the wants to create the total package.  Remember in most cases you can usually add, change or remodel features to create the perfect starter home, but the location - your stuck with!