{"id":11290,"date":"2019-05-24T16:18:17","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T16:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/?p=11290"},"modified":"2019-05-24T16:18:17","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T16:18:17","slug":"starting-the-search-for-your-dream-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/2019\/05\/24\/starting-the-search-for-your-dream-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting The Search For Your Dream Home?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Anna Mathieu
Realtor\u00ae, Associate Broker, GRI, MBA
This Year\u2019s Winner of the Windermere Cup for Outstanding Performance
Windermere Real Estate\/SV, LLC
(208) 309-1329
AnnaMathieu@Windermere.com
5b-realestate.com
To subscribe to the Better Homeowners newsletter:
tinyurl.com\/y8koftym<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In today\u2019s real estate market, low inventory dominates the conversation in many areas of the country. It can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren\u2019t prepared.<\/p>\n

In a realtor.com article titled, \u201cHow to Find Your Dream Home\u2014Without Losing Your Mind\u201d (www.tinyurl.com\/tws-dreamhome), the author highlights some steps that first-time homebuyers can take to help carry their excitement of buying a home throughout the whole process.<\/p>\n

1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage <\/b>Before You Start Your Search<\/b><\/p>\n

One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search (www.tinyurl.com\/tws-pre). Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive, understanding your budget will give you the confidence of knowing whether or not your dream home is within your reach.<\/p>\n

This step will also help you narrow your search based on your budget and won\u2019t leave you disappointed if the home you tour, and love, ends up being outside your budget!<\/p>\n

2. Know the Difference Between Your \u2018Must-Haves\u2019 <\/b>and \u2018Would-Like-To-Haves\u2019<\/b><\/p>\n

Do you really need that farmhouse sink in the kitchen to be happy with your home choice? Would a two-car garage be a convenience or a necessity? Could the \u2018man cave\u2019 of your dreams be a future renovation project instead of a make-or-break right now?<\/p>\n

Before you start your search, list all the features of a home you would like and then qualify them as \u2018must-haves,\u2019 \u2018should-haves,\u2019 or \u2018absolute-wish list\u2019 items. This will help keep you focused on what\u2019s most important (www.tinyurl.com\/tws-wantneed).<\/p>\n

3. Research and Choose a Neighborhood <\/b>You Want to Live In<\/b><\/p>\n

Every neighborhood has its own charm. Before you commit to a home based solely on the house itself, the article suggests test-driving the area. Make sure that the area meets your needs for \u201camenities, commute, access to your favorite place, etc., and then spend a weekend exploring before you commit.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Document Your Home Visits<\/b><\/p>\n

Once you start touring homes, the features of each individual home will start to blur together. The article suggests taking notes and keeping your camera handy to document what you love and don\u2019t love about each property you visit.<\/p>\n

Making notes on the listing sheet as you tour the property will also help you remember what the photos mean, or what you were feeling while touring the home.<\/p>\n

5. Choose ONE Agent to Represent You<\/b><\/p>\n

Calling off each sign will not save you money; in fact, it could cost you money. The listing agent represents the seller and the seller\u2019s interest. While an agent should be able to balance both your interests, unless you have a signed Buyer Agency Agreement with an agent to represent you, you cannot assume that agent is focused on your best interests. Committing to one agent means that that agent should commit to you, too. Especially in a competitive market with many pitfalls, you want someone with insider knowledge and expertise who is working full-time on finding you the best home, and helping and watching out for you every step of the way.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/b><\/p>\n

In a high-paced, competitive environment, any advantage you can give yourself will help you on your path to buying your dream home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s real estate market, low inventory dominates the conversation in many areas of the country. It can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren\u2019t prepared. In a realtor.com article titled, \u201cHow to Find Your Dream Home\u2014Without Losing Your Mind\u201d (www.tinyurl.com\/tws-dreamhome), the author highlights some steps that first-time homebuyers can take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_pvb_checkbox_block_on_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,27,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-better-homeowners-news","category-real-estate","category-sponsored"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}