#15 Beginning Your Home Search
Let’s set aside all the
technical issues and procedures and talk a bit about the very personal side of
beginning your home search! There’s an
exciting and fun side of the search that should be enjoyed – because all the
professionals, who play their parts in making your dream happen, are excited
for you, too.
It’s one thing to drive
around, look at model homes, visit open house events and share your dreams and
intentions with friends and family -- before you can actually buy! It’s quite a different adventure when
you and your Realtor start out -- with your Pre-Approval in hand -- searching
for an actual home! The time has
finally arrived to take those dreams and all their details and look for the right
fit.
Your Realtor will keep your
financial parameters in mind and begin matching possibilities to dollars! Be ready for pleasant surprises! Sometimes, all those dreams can come true – but might not be in the exact
configurations you’d had in mind. It’s
in the expertise of your Residential Realtor to examine the inventory of
available homes, line up the relevant ones and, in the mix, make comparisons to
what you want – including “comparable”
possibilities.
If you have a family, this is
also the time to bring them into the fun of the search and the excitement of viewing
possibilities. Up until now it was
mostly about all of the preparatory documentation and the very detailed work
with your Mortgage Loan Officer, to get you qualified. There was probably some stress, some anxiety
and the pressure of getting it in order
and getting it right! Now you can catch your breath and enter
the fun part!
Of course, there is a
different kind of stress ahead! You may
see a home that you really like – but it may have contingencies that move it
out of financial reach. You may find
one that seems just right, but there is another prospective buyer with an offer
in ahead of you, and you have to do the waiting game! (It’s always possible their deal may not be
successful.) At these junctures, your
Realtor is your advocate! He or she
will keep an eye on those good prospects, watch how existing offers proceed and
see how they play out – or don’t!
At this stage of your home
search, it is important to commit to some critical scheduling disciplines. Discuss your (and your family’s) availability. By coordinating your time with your
Residential Realtor, and setting up dependable “available blocks” of time when you can view
homes, your Realtor can efficiently schedule viewings with a minimum of back-and-forth communication.
Understanding the “rhythms”
of this stage of your home search
helps you (or you and your
family) to stay positive,
relaxed and as stress free as
possible. Your Realtor knows how the
process works and will help you in being patient when it seems like things are
bogged down. The most important thing is that you and your Realtor find the right
home – and that takes the time it takes!
Equally important is the
factor of flexibility. That dream home may not turn up exactly as you had envisioned. Being flexible as you review the
possibilities may bring pleasant surprises you didn’t anticipate! Keeping
an open mind will help – a lot!
Your Residential Realtor has experience that has shown that often a
client will see a house that has differences from what they had in mind – but
that just “clicks” anyway!
Beginning your search is exciting! Viewing
possibilities knowing you have solid qualification in hand – your Pre Approval
document – you can now actually picture yourself in that home of your own!
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