Buying a home can be daunting, and if it’s your first home it can definitely feel overwhelming at times. Believe me, my wife and I know all about it. We learned a lot along the way from the internet, friends, family, realtors, sales reps and HGTV. There are more than enough articles and blogs about buying a home, (I know, because I’ve read most of them) so I intend on keeping this one about what helped Heather & I with buying a new-construction home in Easton Park.
The first step is to know what you are looking for. Figure out ahead of time the things you want and don’t want. What do you envision when you think of your dream home? The key is to know this in advance of looking at houses so you don’t waste your, or your realtors time looking at homes you are not even remotely interested in. As our search became more serious, what helped us was to create a “Must-Have, Can’t Stand List.” We put everything we could think of on paper and then narrowed it down to the items that were non-negotiable and the items that we were willing to compromise on.
Next, talk with a mortgage lender and find out how much you qualify for. Don’t be intimidated by this step. There is no commitment, and you’re not obligated to use that lender when the time comes to buy. But, this step is an absolute must if you are serious about buying a home. As with buying anything, you need to know what you can afford. This step can also warn you if there is a error on your credit report that you need to fix and the lender can provide you with financial advice of how to get to where you want to be if you aren’t quite there yet. In this housing market things go quickly, and being prepared allows you to claim that perfect property when you find it.
Don’t rely on others to do the leg work for you. Even if you chose to use a Realtor, do your own research. If you’ve found our blog, I’m proud of you because you’re already doing this step. Heather and I scoured the internet and talked with dozens of people regarding Easton Park and that research, without a doubt, helped us to find and secure our dream home on the best lot in Bryant Park. (We may be a little biased.)
Use a realtor. Even if you’ve purchased a home several times before, it never hurts to have that person in your corner who is looking out for your best interest and to have someone who specializes in buying homes, who can answer all your questions. With that said, Heather and I chose to forgo using a realtor, thinking that we didn’t need one. Luckily, when it came time to sign paperwork and we were feeling overwhelmed, Garrett Luther with Pacesetter Homes was absolutely fantastic about taking as much time as we needed to go over everything and answer all our questions. But, because I can’t guarantee every home builder has someone as awesome as Garrett, I would suggest a realtor for peace of mind.
And most importantly, if you’re buying a home with someone, remember that you’re a team. I know that I couldn’t have done this without my wife and her strength and patience. She was supportive, understanding and accommodating every time I wanted to go look at more model homes which meant driving all over the metro area, again. We kept each other positive and shared the workload while always keeping the end goal in mind.
Best of luck with your home buying search.
Go East, My Friends!
My Easton Park Home 