{"id":2685,"date":"2018-10-17T10:00:55","date_gmt":"2018-10-17T10:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thezakariagroup.com\/5-tips-for-starting-your-home-search\/"},"modified":"2018-10-17T10:00:55","modified_gmt":"2018-10-17T10:00:55","slug":"5-tips-for-starting-your-home-search","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thezakariagroup.com\/5-tips-for-starting-your-home-search\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for Starting Your Home Search"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"5<\/p>\n

In today\u2019s real estate market, with low inventory dominating the conversation in many areas of the country, it can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren\u2019t prepared.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a recent realtor.com<\/em> article<\/a> entitled, \u201cHow to Find Your Dream Home\u2014Without Losing Your Mind,\u201d<\/em> the author highlights some steps that first-time homebuyers can take to help carry their excitement of buying a home throughout the whole process.<\/p>\n

1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before You Start Your Search<\/strong><\/h4>\n

One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage<\/a> before starting your search. Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive, understanding your budget will give you the confidence of knowing whether or not your dream home is within your reach.<\/p>\n

This step will also help you narrow your search based on your budget and won\u2019t leave you disappointed if the home you tour, and love, ends up being outside your budget!<\/p>\n

2. Know the Difference Between Your \u2018Must-Haves\u2019 and \u2018Would-Like-To-Haves\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Do you really need that farmhouse sink in the kitchen to be happy with your home choice? Would a two-car garage be a convenience or a necessity? Could the \u2018man cave\u2019 of your dreams be a future renovation project instead of a make-or-break right now?<\/p>\n

Before you start your search, list all the features of a home you would like and then qualify them as \u2018must-haves\u2019, \u2018should-haves\u2019, or \u2018absolute-wish list\u2019 items. This will help keep you focused<\/a> on what\u2019s most important.<\/p>\n

3. Research and Choose a Neighborhood You Want to Live In<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Every neighborhood has its own charm. Before you commit to a home based solely on the house itself, the article suggests test-driving the area. Make sure that the area meets your needs for \u201camenities, commute, school district, etc. and then spend a weekend exploring before you commit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

4. Pick a House Style You Love and Stick to It<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Evaluate your family\u2019s needs and settle on a style of home that would best serve those needs. Just because you\u2019ve narrowed your search to a zip code, doesn\u2019t mean that you need to tour every listing in that zip code.<\/p>\n

An example from the article says, \u201cif you have several younger kids and don\u2019t want your bedroom on a different level, steer clear of Cape Cod\u2013style homes, which typically feature two or more bedrooms on the upper level and the master on the main.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

5. Document Your Home Visits<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Once you start touring homes, the features of each individual home will start to blur together. The article suggests keeping your camera handy and documenting what you love and don\u2019t love about each property you visit. They even go as far as to suggest snapping a photo of the \u2018for sale\u2019 sign on the way into the property to help keep the listings divided in your photo gallery.<\/p>\n

Making notes on the listing sheet as you tour the property will also help you remember what the photos mean, or what you were feeling while touring the home.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In a high-paced, competitive environment, any advantage you can give yourself will help you on your path to buying your dream home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Powered by WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In today\u2019s real estate market, with low inventory dominating the conversation in many areas of the country, it can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren\u2019t prepared. In a recent realtor.com article entitled, \u201cHow to Find Your Dream Home\u2014Without Losing Your Mind,\u201d the author highlights some steps that first-time homebuyers can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101010,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[98,99],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n5 Tips for Starting Your Home Search - The Zakaria Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thezakariagroup.com\/5-tips-for-starting-your-home-search\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Tips for Starting Your Home Search - The Zakaria Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In today\u2019s real estate market, with low inventory dominating the conversation in many areas of the country, it can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren\u2019t prepared. 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