When was the last time you were either buying or selling a house? If you made the decision to attack this situation without the help of a real estate agent it was likely much more difficult than it needed to be. Whether you are searching for your first ever small home for you and your new spouse or you are looking for a way to move into a much bigger home for your family of four, there are many advantages to working with a local realtor. By providing information about your budget, your top priorities for the home that you want or the homesites that you want to consider, and the location that you are most interested in, a realtor can help you narrow down a search and make the most of your time.
Budget. One of the very first steps in making sure that you find the right kind of house is to spend time with a loan agent early in the process to understand what the limits are when it comes to getting a home loan. That realization allows you go get the information that you need to understand the amount of down payment you will need to make and the price of the houses that you should be looking at. And while it can be fun to look at more expensive homes, it is important to know that there comes a time when you need to focus on the homes that you can afford if you want to make the best purchase.
Top Priorities. Some people are certain that they only want to look at ranch floor plans, while others are looking for a two story home with a walk out basement. If the kind of kitchen that you want is a space withe the newest professional appliances, it is important to make sure that you let your realtor know that immediately. Other considerations that people have about the priorities of a new home include the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and parking spots in the garage. It is likely that you will not find a house that will have absolutely everything that you want, so prioritizing your wish list can help you compare all the homes that you look at.
Location. For home buyers who have children, finding a house that is in a great school district is important. And while some of these homes may come with a much higher property tax level, to many parents it is important enough live in the best kind of school district. Other property buyers want to search for homes that are conveniently located near public transportation options. Likewise, there are some couples who want to live on a golf course or near a public park with easy access to hiking, biking, and walking trails. And while budget and other priorities can guide many purchase, many realtors will indicate that location, location, location should always be the main focus.
New Homesites and Private Residential Community Options Continue to Grow in Popularity
If you are not looking for current homes for sale, but are instead searching for some of the best homesites in the area you need to make sure that you are working with a realtor who will help you visualize what your new house might be like. In 2018, as many as 5.34 million existing homes and 667,000 newly constructed homes were sold, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. And while it may seem that new construction would be much more expensive, there are many buyers who want to opt for a new home to avoid immediate maintenance and repair issues. From the 45% of homes sold in Maui that were bought by out-of-state home buyers in 2016 to new homes that are being built in areas in the midwest that have never been develop before, there are plenty of homesites to consider so it is important to work with a realtor you can trust.
Open communication is key to any real estate agent relationship. A realtor can only serve as an important guide to your purchase if you are up front with information about your budget, your top priorities, and location.