Getting Started
What Type Of Home Do You Want?
Before deciding which house to buy, think about your lifestyle,
your current and anticipated housing needs, and your budget. Finding
the right house involves striking a balance between your wish list
and the reality of the housing market in the area you wish to live.
Your
Wish List
When creating your wish list, take a look at your lifestyle. For
example, if you love to cook, you'll want a well-equipped kitchen.
If you love to garden, you'll want a yard. If you want to work at
home, you may want a room for a separate library or home office.
If you have several cars, you may require a garage or parking spaces.
Write down on paper all the things you and your co-purchaser,
if there is one, would love to have in your home. You can let your
imagination take over, but realize that you will have to cut the
list back later.
As you think about your housing needs, it's important to consider
how long you may live in your home. If you are newly married, you
might not be concerned with a school district right now. But you
could be in several years. Will you move then — or is the house
you are looking for now is in a neighborhood where good schools
are available? If you have aging parents, might they need to live
with you in the near future? If so, you may want to look at homes
that offer living arrangements for them as well as you. So, when
preparing your wish list, factor in both your current housing needs
and what you may anticipate a few years from now.
Your
Home's Location
You need to think about the home's location just as carefully as
you do about the house features. Identify what kind of city, community,
and neighborhood are right for you. Beyond commuting distance to
work, you need to evaluate the availability of shopping, police
and fire protection, medical facilities, school and day-care, traffic
and parking, trash and garbage collection, recreational facilities,
places of worship, and other community amenities. Driving or walking
around neighborhoods, looking at street maps of various neighborhoods,
and talking with people you know who live in the neighborhood will
help you better understand the pluses and minuses of communities
you are considering.
Type
of Home You Want
You also need to figure out the type of housing you want. Do you
want a condominium
or a cooperative?
Or a town house or a detached single-family home? In terms of construction
materials, do you want brick, stone, stucco, wood, vinyl siding,
or another building material? Do you prefer a new home or an older
home?
If you have the time and money to invest in fixing up a home,
you may want to buy an older home that needs some work. If you don't,
you may wish to buy an older home in which all renovations are complete,
or a new home that offers energy-efficient systems and modern materials
Balancing
Your Wish List
No matter what your wish list, you will need to balance
the amenities you hope to get, your choice of neighborhood, and
the size and styles of homes available in your price range.
Consider other online resources that can help
you with house selection issues. For example, learn more about building
materials, home builders, and home construction through the
National
Association of Home Builders. For online listings of homes
for sale in neighborhoods where you are considering buying, and
for information on real estate sales professionals who may be able
to assist you, visit the National
Association of Real Estate Brokers or the National
Association of Realtors.
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