{"id":21853,"date":"2025-01-08T00:18:04","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T07:18:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/?p=21853"},"modified":"2025-01-06T14:21:53","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T21:21:53","slug":"new-year-new-home-how-to-make-it-happen-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/08\/new-year-new-home-how-to-make-it-happen-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year, New Home: How To Make It Happen In 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY ANNA & MICHELLE<\/em><\/p>\n

This is the time when a lot of people take a moment to reflect and set their goals for this year. And as you picture what you want your 2025 to look like, one thing that may pop into your mind is the vision of you in a new home. But how do you get there? And where do you start?
\nHere\u2019s some advice that can help you get the ball rolling.<\/p>\n

Focus on Your Why<\/strong><\/p>\n

To lay the foundation, you need to focus on your why. While the dollars and cents are important, so is the driving force behind your desire to move. Maybe you need more space for a growing family, want to sell so you can downsize, or are finally ready to buy your\u00a0first home. Whatever your reason, it\u2019s important to keep it front and center.<\/p>\n

Your why is what helps you stay focused.\u00a0Share your motivation with your agent and they\u2019ll use their expertise to help support that goal, no matter what the market looks like. With a great agent by your side, you\u2019ll have someone to guide you, problem-solve, and keep you moving forward until you can check that goal off your to-do list.<\/p>\n

Get Clear on What You Need<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then it\u2019s time to figure out what your next home needs to have. How many bedrooms do you need? If you don\u2019t have a designated home office, is that a deal-breaker? What about a big fenced-in backyard?\u00a0Knowing your must-haves and nice-to-haves makes the search a lot smoother.<\/p>\n

Since affordability is still tight, it\u2019s important to have a clear idea of your essential items upfront. Maybe you can flex a bit on location, if it\u2019s got everything else you\u2019re looking for. Go over those essential items with your agent and they\u2019ll help you focus on the homes that check the boxes that matter most while staying within your price range.
\n\u00a0<\/strong>
\nKnow Your Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before you jump in, take a look at your finances. How much have you saved? What monthly payment feels comfortable?\u00a0Getting clear on your budget early will help you know what\u2019s possible.
\nThe best way to do this is by partnering with trusted real estate professionals, like a local agent and a lender. They\u2019ll help you:
\nPlan for your\u00a0down payment\u00a0and look into down payment assistance programs
\nUnderstand the equity you have in your current home and how you can use it to fuel your next move if you\u2019re selling
\nGet pre-approved for a mortgage so you know what you can borrow<\/p>\n

Lean on a Pro To Guide You<\/strong><\/p>\n

It can be hard to know where to start, but you don\u2019t have to do it alone.\u00a0A real estate agent knows what you need to do to get ready to buy or sell, how to navigate the process, and can answer your questions every step of the way.\u00a0As\u00a0Bankrate\u00a0puts it:
\n\u201c. . . now more than ever, it\u2019s smart to lean on the guidance of an experienced local real estate agent. If you want to enter the housing market in 2025, whether as a buyer or a seller, let a pro lead the way for you.\u201d
\nRemember, buying or selling is a big milestone and a great goal for this year. With the right expert on your team, you\u2019ll feel confident and ready to take on the market.<\/p>\n

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

If buying or selling a home is part of your goals for 2025, now\u2019s the time to get started. Focus on your why, know what you need, and connect with trusted pros to make it happen. Let\u2019s team up and make this the year you accomplish your real estate resolutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY ANNA & MICHELLE This is the time when a lot of people take a moment to reflect and set their goals for this year. And as you picture what you want your 2025 to look like, one thing that may pop into your mind is the vision of you in a new home. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_pvb_checkbox_block_on_post":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,82,38],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21853","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-better-homeowners-news","8":"category-housing","9":"category-sponsored"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21853","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=21853"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21853\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21855,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21853\/revisions\/21855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21853"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodriverweekly.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}