The home buying process involves a lot of decision making. The home buyer must answer a series of questions about their ideal home, neighborhood, state, and even country. For most buyers, they already have an idea of the country and state they would like to live in. Most even have a general area picked out. However, the home buying process may include multiple cities and neighborhoods. Even when searching for new homes in a single neighborhood, there are a few things to consider when finding the perfect family home.
New vs. used homes. Used homes are not looked at the same as used cars. There are not as many new homes built as there are new cars every year. Even when purchasing a home that has been recently lived in, people consider it to be a newer home to them. However, some communities are newly built and do have brand new homes for home buyers to choose from. New homes can provide many benefits, but often show that in the price.
Most recent buyers who purchased new homes were looking to avoid renovations and problems with plumbing or electricity at 34%. Buyers who purchased previously owned homes were most often considering a better price at 32%. Buyers looking for minimal or absolutely no renovations or updates will generally prefer a new home community versus a previously lived in home. Even if a previously live in home is newer, built within the last few years, it is likely to reflect the previous owner?s style and personality, with some minor changes needed.
Type of home community. Both new and previously owned homes for sale come in a variety of communities. Some communities are more private, with gates for added security. Others are more secluded, perhaps offering homeowners with more land or better views. A classic community is usually somewhere in the middle, offering closer together homes for more of a community feel, with ample land and space for each home and yard.
Your exact ideal location. One city of homes may vary in their locations. A home for sale can be positioned right by the city public school, or your new homes location can be within walking distance to the local convenience of grocery store. Some home buyers may have preferences as to which locations are ideal. Some may even have an exact preferred ideal location for their home. When looking this specific, it is often best to work with a licensed realtor.
A licensed real estate agent can help to narrow down search results and can help to find homes based on specific preferences, such as the ideal location. With the ease of internet searches today, buyers can quickly become overwhelmed with their options. The typical buyer who did not use the Internet during their home search spent only 5 weeks searching and visited 5 homes, compared to those who did use the Internet and searched for 10 weeks and visited 10 homes.
Your price range. The home?s price range is often set by your budget and pre approval amount from your lender. You should always look at homes below your budget, and never exceed this amount. A real estate agent can also be very helpful in sticking to homes within the budget. Looking at home outside of the price range can cause buyers to spend more, often extending their ability to pay.
Real estate agents can be helpful in the entire process, even with setting a realistic budget for specific needs in a new home. In fact, 78% of recent buyers found their real estate agent to be a very useful information source. Online websites were seen as very useful information source at 82%.
Purchasing a home is not as simple as purchasing a new car. You are likely to shop around for much longer, ensuring that your dream home fits all of your housing requirements. A licensed realtor can help to narrow down search results to ensure that they fit your pricing and budget needs, that they are new enough for you, and that they are located in a community and neighborhood that you desire.
