Finding The Right Home
Finding the right home is not simply a function of affordability. Your lifestyle, family needs, and other factors will play a large part in your decision about the size and type of home, location, and physical condition of the home. If you enjoy repairing an remodeling and have the time for it, an older fixer-upper might be just the ticket. If you lead an active life away from home and have little time for yard work and maintenance you may want to consider a condo or townhouse.
Wanna Bes and Gotta-Bes
The following Home Buyers Needs Analysis will help you establish some important criteria for your new home so you can cut your search time and narrow in on the areas and specific homes that meet your needs and circumstances. Define what you want and need in your new home. Rate the importance of each on a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being unimportant and 5 being very important. You may want to write some qualifying comments or add more considerations of your own. The more clearly you define your desires, the easier the decisions will be.
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
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| Proximity to Quality Services | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Shopping
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Schools
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Churches
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Recreation
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Day Care
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Library
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Work
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Other
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New (under 10 years)
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Middle (11 to 30 years)
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Older (31+ years)
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| Style of Home | |||||
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Ranch
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2-Story
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Split Level
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Townhouse
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Condo
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Custom
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Traditional
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Rustic
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Contemporary
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Other
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| Home Size & Other Considerations | |||||
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No. of Bedrooms
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No. of Baths
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Garage?
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Garage Size
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Kitchen Size
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Formal Dining
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Family/Game Room
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Office
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Air Conditioning
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Central HVAC
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Sq. Footage
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Lot Size
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Lot
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Acreage
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Animal Rights
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Extras
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Others
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Excellent
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Good
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Fair
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Fixer-Upper
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With your agent selected, your analysis completed, and your loan pre-approved, youre ready to begin some serious house-hunting. Work with your agent to identify communities, neighborhoods and homes that fit your selection criteria. Then start looking. Here a few guidelines:
- Take your time. A home is, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. Dont be rushed into something that doesnt fit your needs. There are usually many homes in any given market at any given time that will work for you. Familiarize yourself with the options. Make careful comparisons.
- Buy with your head as well as your heart. Of course youre going to make an emotional decision when buying a home. Thats a given. But dont let your emotions overrule your reason completely. Justify your emotional choice with a rational analysis of how this home meets your criteria. Look for problems, especially with a home you love. You may come up with some ammunition to negotiate a better price. It may also prevent you from making a drastic mistake.
- Take advantage of appropriate professionals as needed. Inspectors, attorneys, etc. do cost money. But they can save you a bundle What type of home or property is right for me? This is primarily a question of lifestyle and personal taste. The following table shows a variety of different home styles. Youll need to consider variables such as, how much time you spend at home, health considerations, budget and aesthetics.
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