The search is on for a new place to call home. The first step is to talk with a mortgage representative to understand the price range which you might qualify for within your financial comfort zone. Next, it's time to put together a list of your "must have" features of a new home. But, wait ....not so fast. What if you can't have everything?
As you make that list you must prioritize and be realistic. Understand, there is no such thing as a 100% perfect home. The reality is that you might not be able to have it ALL. Even when having a home custom built from the ground up (with thorough planning and generous budgets) there are often times when home buyers couldn't get everything on their wish list. It's human nature to always want a little more than one can afford.
So, expect to search for a home that meets at least 85% of your criteria while thinking about the things you might be able to do to make it a little more perfect over time (or perhaps live without).
If you must have a home with a fireplace, are you willing to act quickly on a home that has everything else? Or, will your criteria require you to go up to the next price range? If you're not coming close to finding an 85% perfect home then you might also need to reevaluate your price range.
Aside from adjusting your price, what else can you do when a house meets a majority of your criteria? Can you be creative? For example, if there is no fireplace don't scratch the property from your list. Instead, think of this as being something that can be added later on.
A good Realtor knows how to hone in quickly on a buyer's likes and dislikes to make the home search as simple and time efficient as possible but in today's competitive market homes are selling quickly. Inventories of available houses are low right now and buyers are finding themselves competing with others for that cream puff home. The cream puffs are sometimes sold as fast as they come on the market. There is not a lot of time to wait and shop around if you find it today it could be gone tomorrow and you might wish you were a little more forgiving of the home that lacked a fireplace. SO, be careful to not be too picky.
There is no such thing as a 100% match when shopping for real estate. Each house will lack this or that and many will boast different features which you might love but cannot combine.
Wait, hesitate. You might make a big mistake. With other buyers on your heels, the market is just not conducive to indecisiveness. For most home buyers, 85% perfect is almost as good as it gets.
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