Talk to Annapolis area homebuyers these days and you'll often hear this: I don't want just a deal. I want a steal! Realtors expect this sort of brash talk from seasoned investors, but more and more we're hearing it from young couples, first time homebuyers, grandmothers and other nice people who often trip over the words, like they're reciting a script that's at odds with their deeper desires.
This inner conflict is understandable: after all, isn't the nightly news a regular smorgasbord of home sale nightmare stories? Aren't there steals now in every town in America?
Maybe - but that's not the point. Shopping only for steals - and overlooking the otherwise good deals - tends to create inner conflict, distort priorties and become a single-minded exercise in the absurd. I know agents who have shown 40, 50 or more homes to steal shoppers who simply can't pull the trigger on a home purchase because there might be a better deal hiding around the next bend. Buyers are now getting buyers' remorse just thinking about buying. It's driving both the buyers and their agents bonkers.
Better Judgement is Often The First Casualty of Steal Home Shopping
It reminds me of a young man I knew who used to be too frugal for his own good. He bought only the lowest priced shirts off the clearance rack - not because they were stylish, comfortable, fit well or otherwise served his needs, but because they were cheap. Consequently he ended up with a closet full of shirts that were so hideous they embarrased even my young children when I wore one to the dinner table, let alone in public. (The last of them went to Goodwill about 20 years ago - the shirts, not my kids.)
Homebuyers Risk Much When They Leave Better Judgement at the Front Door. A Home Should Be Many Things, and Well-Priced is Just One of Them
A home should be comfortable, pleasing to the eye, and well lit. It should have reliable mechanical systems, be convenient to work and play, if possible, and in an area where the new owner can easily imagine the next chapter of her life. It should have trees and bushes you love, enough lawn for that puppy you've wanted, a place to work on your ATVs and other toys, a picket fence or winding flagstone path, a great elevator, coffee shops within striking distance. In short, it should be what you want it to be.
Know what you want in a home and go find it. A good agent will make sure you get a great deal. Be willing to make some tradeoffs; most homebuyers will. But don't sell your homebuyer's soul for the sake of a steal: those few bucks you save on your monthly mortgage will be little recompense for your unrealized home dreams.
Trust me: if you're looking for a great deal in the Annapolis real estate market, we have plenty. Just email me at kenhaedrich@kw.com and tell me what you're looking for. I'll send you a list of everything that meets your needs, and we'll go from there.
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