Will I Know it When I See It?
January 14th, 2009 Categories: Alexandria Dirt, Arlington Dirt, Falls Church Dirt, First Time Buyers Club, McLean Dirt, Reston Dirt
I get asked that question a lot from buyers, especially first time buyers, as we begin and move through the house hunting process. Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer, no magic bullet to help sort that out. It’s one part analysis and one part gut feel…
I usually tell them that I’ve had clients that looked at 3 houses and bought one of the 3. I’ve also had clients that I’ve shown 50 houses to and they decided to take a break from looking only to end up renting indefinitely. Who’s to say what’s right or wrong?
Steps to follow to make the process a little easier:
1) Get your financial homework done ahead of time. If you know what you are qualified for and you KNOW what you are comfortable with, you will not have to wonder and shift gears as far as price range goes, mid way through the process. Of course there are exceptions – if you begin looking when interest rates are at 6% and there are significant drops, as I’ve written about before it can have a tremendous affect on your purchase power and it’s definitely worth re-visiting. Otherwise, do that homework first and STICK TO YOUR COMFORT ZONE!
2) Have a good list of what you do and don’t want – I would highly 
recommend AGAINST making anything firm. I was once told by a couple that they didn’t want to look at cape cod style homes because they felt the upstairs wouldn’t be large enough for the husband. Well, you can see where this is headed – they ended up purchasing a cape cod that had a great addition on the back that enabled them to have a nice master closet and bath with PLENTY of head room, storage, etc… But back to my point, have some general ideas of what you want and what you don’t – if you have any showstoppers (Cannot live in a particular school district, cannot live with steps, etc…) it’s a good idea to note those too.
3) PATIENCE – some weeks there will be MANY homes to look at and others, slim pickins… Just be patient. When you see something that you can mentally begin moving into, that’s a good first sign that we’re onto something. That’s when it’s time to analyze how the space would work with your lifestyle, the commute, the longevity (how long could you live in that house if you had to? – e.g., there’s no point buying a “cuter” 3–bedroom house than the 3–bedroom one you already have if you’re outgrowing it – right?).
4) Gut Feel – this is the hardest. But if you can imagine your life in this home, imagine being excited to come home every day, imagine inviting your friends over for a party or for dinner or just to hang out; if you can see your furniture here, or what color you’d like to paint the walls or where your dog will sleep – these are all good solid indicators that you might have just found your new home.
It’s a fun process – call me today to get started!
Happy Wednesday!
Jennifer
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Contact me today for a free home valuation or buyer counseling session! And remember, spring is RIGHT around the corner!
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