{"id":7988,"date":"2023-03-15T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thezakariagroup.com\/balancing-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-this-spring\/"},"modified":"2023-03-15T10:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T10:30:00","slug":"balancing-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-this-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thezakariagroup.com\/balancing-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-this-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"Balancing Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer This Spring"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Balancing<\/p>\n

Though there are more homes for sale now than there were at this time last year, there\u2019s still an undersupply with fewer<\/a> houses available than in more normal, pre-pandemic years. The Monthly Housing Market Trends Report<\/em> from realtor.com<\/em> puts<\/a> it this way:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the number of homes for sale is increasing, it is still 43.2% lower than it was before the pandemic in 2017 to 2019. This means that there are still fewer homes available to buy on a typical day than there were a few years ago.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The current housing <\/strong>shortage<\/strong><\/a> has an impact on how you <\/strong>search<\/strong><\/a> for a home this spring<\/strong>. With limited options on the market, buyers who consider what\u2019s a necessity versus what\u2019s a nice-to-have will be more successful in their home search.<\/p>\n

The first step? Get pre-approved for a mortgage<\/strong>. Pre-approval helps you better understand what you can borrow for your home loan, and that plays an important role in how you\u2019ll put your list together. After all, you don\u2019t want to fall in love with a home that\u2019s out of reach. Once you have a good grasp on your budget, the best way to prioritize all the features you want and need in a home is to put together a list.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a great way to think about them before you begin:<\/p>\n