Finding your dream Home!

Will you know the house of your dreams when you see it? A common reply is always

“ I’ll know it when I see it!”

If you logically analyze your wants and needs ahead of time you can make an educated, informed decision, rather than an emotional one.

We have put together some things you should consider when starting the house hunting procedure. This will help you to prioritize which characteristics are most important to you in a home.

Surely you have heard the old Real Estate saying….. “Location, Location, Location!”  Well there are other important factors to consider when choosing a home for you and your family.

Geography

• Will it be in a town, semi-rural or rural area?
• Do you want to be with lots of people, or not so much
• Do you have a preference with regards to woods/trees/hills/
• Should you have water frontage, lake, stream, ocean.
• How long is your commute to work? Should you be close to work?
• Will your children be able to access there extra curricular activities easily?

Neighborhood Focus

• What is the general appearance of the area?
• Are the homes well maintained?
• What are the main types of homes? Would your style blend or stand out above the crowd
• Are the homes “Newer” or “Older”
• How far apart are the homes
• How well are the lawns maintained?
• Are there many visible property enhancements, pools, patios, decks, landscaping etc.
• What is in the area for shopping? Easy access to a supermarket?
• Are there emergency personal close by? Police/ Fire/ Paramedics
• How close is the nearest Hospital
• Are there “Restrictive Covenants”

Schools

• How will your children get to school?
• Are they equipped to handle special needs?
• What is the teacher : child ratio
• Are there after-school activities offered?
• What type of sports programs and clubs offered?
• What is the percentage of children that graduate?
• What is the percentage of graduating students that go onto college?

Work Issues

· How long will your commute be?
· How many methods can you use to get there, such as walking, driving, car pool, taxi bus
route, or train?

Recreation and Entertainment

· What forms of entertainment are offered?
· What types of indoor and outdoor sports facilities are available?
· Are there public parks, country clubs, and/or sports teams close by?

Community Involvement

· Do the neighbors socialize regularly? Do they hold block parties or picnics?
· Is there a Home Owner’s Association? How active are they in the community?
· Is there a PTA?
· Is there a Neighborhood Watch program in place?

Find out the answer to each of these questions, and then determine which items are important to you and which you can live without.

Selecting your Home

When choosing the house itself, which of the following features and amenities will be the ones you can or can’t live without.

– House Style
– No. of Levels
– No. of Bedrooms
– No. of Bathrooms
– Gourmet Kitchen?
– Formal Dining Room
– Family Room
– Breakfast Nook
– Super Master Bedroom
– Master ensuite
– Walkin closet
– Fire place
– Basement
– Garage
– Porches
– Fenced Yard
– Large Yard
– Storage Room

The list could go on. Once you’ve gone through the process of deciding on your home’s features and amenities and sized up the neighborhood characteristics that are most important to you, there is one more task to undertake:
PRIORITIZE!!!

Chances are that you may have to “trade-in” one or more features to take advantage of other more “prioritized” features. That’s why it’s important to look at the “”must haves”- the features and characteristics that you don’t want to compromise or trade in no matter what. Then you’ll have a definite picture in your mind of what you are looking for.