{"id":8065,"date":"2023-07-03T10:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thezakariagroup.com\/evaluating-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-matters-more-today\/"},"modified":"2023-07-03T10:30:00","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T10:30:00","slug":"evaluating-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-matters-more-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thezakariagroup.com\/evaluating-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-matters-more-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluating Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer Matters More Today"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/files.keepingcurrentmatters.com\/content\/images\/20230627\/20230703-evaluating-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-matters-more-today.jpg\" alt=\"Evaluating Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer Matters More Today Simplifying The Market\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; clear: both; max-width: 100%;\"><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/2023\/06\/19\/saving-for-a-down-payment-heres-what-you-need-to-know\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">buying a home<\/a>, especially with today\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/2023\/04\/26\/the-three-factors-affecting-home-affordability-today\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">affordability<\/a> challenges, you\u2019ll want to be strategic. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/2023\/06\/07\/the-main-reason-mortgage-rates-are-so-high\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">Mortgage rates<\/a> impact how much it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/2023\/05\/19\/the-impact-of-changing-mortgage-rates-infographic\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">costs<\/a> to borrow money for your home loan. And, to help offset the higher borrowing costs today, some homebuyers are taking a close look at their wish list and re-evaluating what features they really need in their next home to avoid overextending. As a recent <em>NerdWallet <\/em>article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/ca\/mortgages\/ways-to-prepare-for-a-tight-summer-housing-market\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">says<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cA pool, for example, may be nice to have, but it may not provide as much day-to-day value as a garage or a space for a home office . . .\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>While that pool may be appealing, think twice on whether or not it\u2019s really something you must have to be happy in your next home. Is getting that pool the main reason you\u2019re moving? Probably not. It\u2019s more likely a need for more space, a home office, or proximity to loved ones, friends, or work that\u2019s motivating you to make a change.<\/p>\n<p>So, if you\u2019re looking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/2023\/06\/22\/what-homebuyers-need-to-know-about-credit-scores\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">buy a home<\/a>, take some time to consider what\u2019s truly essential for you in your next house. Make a list of all the features you\u2019ll want to see, and from there, work to break those features into categories. Here\u2019s a great way to organize your list:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Must-Haves<\/strong> \u2013 If a house doesn\u2019t have these features, it won\u2019t work for you and your lifestyle (examples: distance from work or loved ones, number of bedrooms\/bathrooms, etc.).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nice-To-Haves<\/strong> \u2013 These are features you\u2019d love to have but can live without. Nice-to-haves aren\u2019t dealbreakers, but if you find a home that hits all the must-haves and some of these, it\u2019s a contender (examples: a second home office, a garage, etc.).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Dream State<\/strong> \u2013 This is where you can really think big. Again, these aren\u2019t features you\u2019ll need, but if you find a home in your budget that has all the must-haves, most of the nice-to-haves, and any of these, it\u2019s a clear winner (examples: a pool, multiple walk-in closets, etc.).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Once you\u2019ve categorized it in a way that works for you, discuss your top priorities with your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/2023\/05\/22\/why-buyers-need-an-expert-agent-by-their-side\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">real estate agent<\/a>. Remember to think carefully about what\u2019s a non-negotiable for your lifestyle and what\u2019s a nice-to-have that\u2019s more of an added bonus. Be sure to discuss where each feature falls with your agent. They\u2019ll be able to help you refine the list further, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplifyingthemarket.com\/2023\/05\/31\/keys-to-success-for-first-time-homebuyers\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: rgb(5, 99, 193);\">coach<\/a> you through the best way to stick to it, and find a home in your area that meets your top needs.<\/p>\n<h3>Bottom Line<\/h3>\n<p>Putting together your list of necessary features for your next home might seem like a small task, but it\u2019s a crucial planning step on your homebuying journey today. If you\u2019re ready to find a home that fits your needs, connect with a local real estate advisor.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wpematico_credit\"><small>Powered by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wpematico.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WPeMatico<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to buying a home, especially with today\u2019s affordability challenges, you\u2019ll want to be strategic. Mortgage rates impact how much it costs to borrow money for your home loan. And, to help offset the higher borrowing costs today, some homebuyers are taking a close look at their wish list and re-evaluating what features [&hellip;]<\/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_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[98,99,101],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Evaluating Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer Matters More Today - 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\/evaluating-your-wants-and-needs-as-a-homebuyer-matters-more-today\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Evaluating Your Wants and Needs as a Homebuyer Matters More Today - The Zakaria Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When it comes to buying a home, especially with today\u2019s affordability challenges, you\u2019ll want to be strategic. 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