If you want to get the very best 'deal' when you buy a house in Colorado, it's vital you take the time to create a plan of action.

The way I see it, there's two steps involved in creating a plan of action.

• Create a 'Features' Shopping List
• Define what 'Getting the Best Deal' means to you

First, list the features you'll be looking for.  Read over your list and decide which features are 'must-haves', which are 'strongly want', and which are 'would be nice'.

This task will be fun, but could also be harder than you think when you get down to priorities.  The 'must have' list is what will keep you out of trouble when you start looking at homes. It will help you keep your emotions in check when you see a 'pretty sparkly' that doesn't even meet your most basic needs, but you still find yourself wanting to move into it tomorrow.

There's something called staging, which is setting up a house to look its best for showings, even if it's not the way the owners usually live in it.  Staging is not a bad thing - it's simply evidence of a listing agent doing their job and a motivated seller presenting the home in its best light.  But staged homes look so much nicer than the rest, you can be tempted to overlook the fact that it doesn't have that one extra bedroom, or the dining room your family needs.

This temptation is even more troublesome if you don't have your own agent helping you.  After all, if you're prowling open houses or new construction on your own, it's easy to forget that the agent you meet there is working for the seller, not you.

The 'must haves' list will be different for someone buying their first home than for a move-up buyer. After all, getting out of living in someone else's house and into your own is a huge victory in itself, and you might be more flexible on your 'must have' list. But if you basically like where you live and you're looking for more space or maybe something in a better school district, you might have a longer 'must have' list. In other words, there has to be more motivation for you to leave a home you basically enjoy.

To determine if a feature belongs on the 'must have' list, ask yourself, "If I can't get this feature, would I be just as happy staying where I am?"  A 'yes' answer means it belongs on the 'must have' list.

Another question to 'qualify' your features is, "Is it worth all the trouble of getting a loan and moving if I can't have this?" If the answer is 'no', that feature belongs on the 'must have' list.

The 'strongly want' list is where the features go that aren't 'deal breakers', but definitely are things you really look forward to.

For instance, if you bump heads with someone else every morning when brushing your teeth, a master bath with two sinks might go on this list. These should be items you've brought up in conversations in the past, "I'd really wish we had  . . . "

The 'strongly want list' should contain things that would sway you to choose a house that had them over a house that didn't.

The 'would be nice' list contains the things you've seen in your friends' homes and said, "That would be nice!"  These things would thrill you if they could be had in your price range, but you still wouldn't hesitate to make an offer on a house that didn't have them.

And now, I think this post is as long as it should be, so I'm going to save step 2 for tomorrow.  Besides, you have plenty of 'homework' to get started on!

Read 'Buy a House in Colorado Part 1'.

Read the third article 'Buy a House in Colorado'.

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Arvada is a historic town about midway between Denver and Boulder in Jefferson County, Colorado. There are many different neighborhood styles and homes prices, all served by well-loved schools. Call me to talk about the kind of neighborhood you dream of living in. 

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How to buy a house Denver to Boulder.

How to Sell a House Denver to Boulder

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I write posts on real estate issues and local events in the Denver metro area, especially those communities between Denver and Boulder, as a public service. My hope is to give people an idea of the ‘flavor’ of our community, in case they’re new or moving to the Denver area.

I am a residential real estate agent, happily helping folks buy a house or sell a house in the beautiful and friendly suburbs northwest of Denver.  Read what past clients have said about me.

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  Copyright © 2009 Joetta Fort, The DiGiorgio Group