Looking For The PERFECT House?

Brittany Barnes
Apr 18, 2015
3 min read

Hi All!!

Thanks again for checking out my page for yet another blog post, published by yours truly!

I’ve been writing a lot about sellers lately so I decided to dedicate this post to all my fabulous buyer’s out there!

Whether you are a first time homebuyer or you’re looking to make your 3rd purchase, finding a new home is beyond exciting! Living in a new area, finally getting that study with the gorgeous French Doors and the closed game room so the kids can make AS MUCH NOISE as they’d like!!!!!

“Ahhhhhh, yes.” (Sigh of relief)

“But Wait!...I want the 14” Diagonal Tiling at the entry way, the Granite Countertops in all wet areas of the home, the huge living room, the gourmet kitchen with mosaic backsplash and stainless steel appliances…and lets not forget…the master bedroom fit for a KING!”

I know, especially as a first time home buyer, you want to purchase the “perfect home”. The home that you can live in for the rest of your life. The home that you don’t have to make one change to. The home that is going to bring you and your family many joyous memories over time. You can achieve all of these wonderful things in your next home, as long your expectations are realistic.

Here are a few tips to finding a lovely home that will warm your heart, while still fitting your family's needs.

1) Get Pre-Approved. This is the very first step you should take when purchasing a home. Unless you are purchasing with cash, a pre-approval letter will be necessary to buy your next home. Not only will this show seller’s that you are a serious buyer, but you will know how much you can safely spend on a home.

2) Hire A Realtor. A Realtor will help you not only find a home that will fit your families needs, but they will oversee the entire transaction on your behalf. Realtors help buyers with contract paperwork, negotiating sales price, negotiating repairs, communicating with sellers/title companies and much much more. Plus, it doesn’t cost you a DIME!

2) Choose an area. This is the biggest way to narrow down your home search. Choose an area of interest based on where you and your spouse work, where your kids go to school, where you spend most of your time or where family lives. Remember, it’s all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

3) Resale or New Construction? Every home has it’s pros and cons. If you are looking for something that is more on the modern side that requires very little fixing, I suggest that you look for a home that is newer or not even built yet. You can find great deals at home builders with nice incentives…if that’s what you’re into. If you don’t mind doing a little bit of work or hiring someone to remodel your new home, try to keep an open mind when your realtor shows you some properties. It can be hard to visualize at times, especially if the property is a little run down. Trust that your realtor is showing you this $40K house because she sees the after repair value at $130K!

4) Create A “Must Haves” List. Let’s say that this is the must-haves list for a first time home buyer:

•Close to the kids school

•1 Story

•Open Concept

•Tile Flooring

•Updated Kitchen w/ Gas Stovetop

•Master Downstairs

•Fireplace In Living Room

•Big Backyard

Could you live with out the gas stovetop if the home offered all of your other needs? Some buyer’s find it hard to bite the bullet and put in an offer because they are waiting for the perfect house. The thing about real estate is that it is always changing. A home might be on the market by day and sold by night. Keep this in mind while doing your house hunting!