- Separating your wants -vs- your needs.
Here are a few tips for home buyers that are shopping for houses. How to narrow down your search.
- What do you need in a Home?
- What do you want in a Home?
Before you even start shopping think about what you actually need in the home for you and your family. There is a huge difference in what you want compared to what you need. If you work from home all the time you may need a home office. If you work from home once a week you can also say I need a home office. Is a home office really necessary if you only work once a week from home? The bigger the home, the more expensive, so it helps to break down needs versus wants.
2. Be realistic about your finances
Look at your finances, determine what you can afford to spend monthly for your mortgage. Do you have money for a down payment? Do you have money for escrow? This will determine what price range of homes you can afford.
3. Talk to Lenders, get pre-approved.
This is a letter from a lender that you give to the sellers to show that you are serious about buying their home. It says that the lender is committed to lending you this much to purchase their home.
Once you determine that you are ready to be a homeowner talk with a Realtor about market conditions. This is one of the biggest investments don’t just wing it.