The Palmer Group

Buying A Home Does Not Have To Be A Stressful Event.

Buying A Home Can Be Less Stressful.

Buying A Home Can Be Less Stressful.

 
When buying a home you need to be serious and do your research.  But it should also be an exciting and fun time in your life.  We like our clients to have some fun as they search for their dream home.  If you follow these 10 tips, the process can be less stressful as well as enjoyable.  
  1. You have to accept the fact that there is no “right” time to buy, just as there’s no perfect time to sell.  If you see a home you like don’t wait for the market values and interest rates to drop.  Unfortunately, the housing market is usually slow to change and prices do not fluctuate enough from month to month to make a difference in a 30 year mortgage.  You could risk losing your dream home.
  2. There is no such thing as a perfect home.  This is something that we always tell our buyers.  You have to decide which factors are most important to you.  You may find a perfect home but you don’t like the location.  The kitchen and bathrooms may be updated but the furnace or roof may need to be replaced.  The home may have everything you want but the yard is hilly or smaller than you would like.  You may see over 30 homes as you conduct your search, so make a list of things that are most important to you and your family and let the minor items go.  Focus on finding a home that has most of your priorities.  
  3. Work with a real estate agent with whom you connect and can trust.  Buying a home is usually your largest financial decision.  You need a buyers agent who is both highly skilled and a good fit with your personality.  You will also need an agent who is looking out for your best interest and not simply trying to make a sale.  If your agent is not identifying the pros and cons of every home, chances are they are not looking out for your best interests. 
  4. Plan ahead and get approved for a mortgage.   Some people make the mistake of finding a home they love without being pre-approved.  Presenting an offer without a pre-approval could cause you to lose a home to someone who is qualified. 
  5. Get to know your future town.  As you narrow your search for a town, spend time in each town.    Check out the local restaurants, bars, stores, parks, lakes, schools, and other points of interest.  We always recommend that after a long day of looking at homes or going to open houses, reward yourself by relaxing and trying out a local restaurant.  You’ll get a feel for the community and can recap the day and the homes you liked and disliked.
  6. Don’t kill a good deal by over negotiating.  If a home is priced to sell there may not be much room for negotiation.  Some people make the mistake of always trying to win in negotiations, wanting to get a discount when the market may not warrant one.  You need to understand and study comparable home sales to validate if you are getting a good deal or not.  Lastly, understand that negotiation is part of the process and can go both ways.  
  7. Make sure that you don’t have blinders on and manage your emotions.  If you get so emotionally caught up in the physical aspects of the house, you may overlook other important aspects that also have a big impact on your decision, like location.  Make sure you stay focused and try to separate out your emotions.  If you can view it as a business decision you will almost always make the right decisions.  Your agent should be able to help you keep emotions balanced.   
  8. Everyone will have an opinion on everything so know who and what to listen to.   When making such a big decision, we  recommend getting family members or people you trust involved for input.  Just remember they may not be experts on important factors, such as price.  They have not spent the time studying the market and may be speaking about their experiences when they bought their  home.  The market and circumstances may have been completely different from what you are experiencing.  Keep your focus and remember you will be the one living in the home at the end of the day. 
  9. Everyone experiences buyer’s remorse at some point in the process.  Especially for the first time home buyer. there will come a point in time where you will second guess your decision.  Did I buy at the right time? Is the home large enough?  Did I get a good rate on my mortgage?  These are all natural feelings when it comes to making a large financial decision.  Be sure to remember why you wanted to buy a home in the first place and what made you fall in love with your home.     
  10. Factor maintenance and repair costs into your home buying decision.  Every home needs something.  If you know what you need to repair, fix, or update, and have an idea of timing and budget, you can determine if you should buy the home or not.

Buying a home is a learning process.  It will take time and effort to go through the process and make your decision.  Whether it is researching towns, school systems, or choosing a style of home, we recommend keeping an open mind and getting out to see many homes as possible.  

We are available to help with your search and are excited about the opportunity to find your dream home while having some fun along the way.  Check out our customer testimonials and recent transactions to hear from clients we helped buy and sell homes.  References available upon request.

Contact Us Now For Help.

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Related Articles: Five Essential Tips To Avoid First Time Home Buyer Rookie Mistakes.
42 Mallard Lane, Sharon MA – Negotiation Lead To 75k In Upgrades.

 

 

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