Now that
you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can
afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses! Well, not just
yet. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People
don't just buy a house, they buy the neighborhood the house is in.
Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a
neighborhood that was not to your liking, would you make an offer on
it? Most likely the answer would be, "No."
So, you will need to make another list of
what you want to live in. You will most likely want to
consider things like how living in the neighborhood will effect your
drive time to and from work, what amenities are offered (swimming
pool, tennis courts, park, etc.), and, if you have children who are
attending school or soon will be, what school district you will be
in and how close the schools are. You may even want to make two
lists just like you did with your home criteria.
Shana
can save you time and money by taking the information from your list
of needs and wants for your home, your pre-approval, and your list
of needs and wants for the neighborhood and incorporating them into
a broad search profile which will then be narrowed down to specific
areas dictated by the market in which you will be looking. My
experience in the local market will be an invaluable resource during
this step
