Develop a Game Plan: Home-Buying Strategy

How to come up with your own home buying strategy for great results

Consider Two Factors

Since buying a home is both a financial and an emotional experience, it is important to consider each of these.  If you focus solely on the financial side – unless you are buying a property purely for investment/income purposes – you run the risk of missing out on the most enjoyable part of home ownership, which is how you actually feel living in your new home!

Yet, to concentrate just on the emotional or the ‘feel good’ aspects could cost a considerable amount of money in the long run, if you ignore sound investment principles we have already mentioned.

Jamie will help you strike the right balance between your emotions and financial considerations so you get the best value for your home.

Pen diary and glasses by Generationbass com

Your Timeline

A successful property search starts with a game plan.  One often-overlooked factor is timing.  Do you have a compelling reason to move, or are you just ‘window shopping’ to see what homes are out there in case you might want to buy one someday?

If you don’t have a clear deadline in mind (such as a relocation date that must be respected for job purposes, or the start of the school year) it is important to consider how long you expect the search to take.  Of course, looking for a home can take more or less time than you anticipate, but it’s important to know roughly when you want to move – keeping in mind that you will generally be able to move in to your new home anywhere between 30-120 days from the day you sign your Agreement of Purchase & Sale.

Your Home Buying Requirements

Here are some of the questions we’ll look at to help determine your home buying needs.

• Where do you want to live? (community/general area)
• How much can you spend?  Is that amount flexible at all?
• Are schools a factor?
• Do you want an older home or a newer one, or a new build?
• How much renovation are you willing to do?
• Is being close to public transportation important?
• Do you have special physical requirements, such as wheel chair access?
• Do you have pets to consider?
• What sort of lot would you like? (small yard, large yard, fenced, garage, patio/deck, other buildings)
• How many bedrooms do you need? How many would you like to have?
• How many bathrooms do you need? How many would you like to have?
• How big a house do you want? How many rooms?
• What features are important? (air conditioning, carpeting, ceramic tile floors, hardwood floors, eat-in kitchen, separate dining room, formal living room, family room, den, library, basement, separate laundry room, fireplace, workshop, other)

Based on your answers, Jamie will develop a search strategy that helps you quickly find exactly what you’re looking for.