In the past, it was often extremely difficult to find the right home because inventory was limited and houses were selling quickly. In some cases now, it may seem difficult to find the right home because there are so many choices and you may be hesitant to act because there may be an even better home just waiting to come on the market.
• Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the number of choices, the best thing to do is to set a priority list for the features you want in a home. In almost every instance, you are going to have to compromise somewhere. For instance, the kitchen may not be as large as you want but the home is in the ideal location for your family.
• Priorities may include the number of bedrooms, the number of baths, size of the kitchen, open floor, finished basement, large yard, garage, 1st floor laundry or a master bath. Ultimately, though, the number one priority should probably be location. For most homes, you can over time add the features that may be missing from the home. The one thing you cannot do is move the home to another location.
• Once the location is selected and you have your priorities in a home, you should scour the internet for listings that meet your criteria. Most online listings provide enough detail to determine which homes would best suit your list of priorities.
• If you have hired a buyer's agent, you should also ask them if they are familiar with homes that meet your criteria. Buyer agents have seen many of the homes in the area so they may be familiar with homes that meet your priorities more particularly than others. Also, buyer agents may be able to provide you with information regarding the approximate costs of adding a particular feature that a home is missing.
At the end of the day the old adage holds true that the three (3) most important aspects of real estate are "location, location, location."
