The One

When house hunting, especially in today’s seller’s market, you may feel tempted to pull the trigger on any house you set foot in simply because you’re worried you could miss out. How do you differentiate the feelings you experience when you’ve scrolled through hundreds of listing photos and then actually see homes in person? Certainly there’s a way to know which house truly is The One separate from the pressure felt by just not wanting to miss out. Here’s how to digest that feeling!

Searching for a forever home can feel a bit like dating… you have a mental checklist of what you’re looking for (your must-haves), you schedule dates (appointments to view the home), and then picture a future with them. Will you have a family? Adopt a dog? Perhaps retire and grow old there? 

Rose Colored Glasses

For romantic day-dreamers like us, sometimes it can be a bit too easy to romanticize homes. In order to come back down to earth a bit and not make a huge financial decision you end up regretting, here are questions to ask yourself while you’re dating the housing market. 

• Is it in my budget? Don’t bother building a future with a home that’s $100,000 out of your price range. 
• Does it meet future needs? Perhaps you are courting a two bedroom house as a family with one child, though you plan on having more some day. You’ll quickly outgrow that house. Better to choose with future needs in mind!
• Is it in the right place? The biggest word in real estate is ‘location’, because the one thing you really cannot change is where a house is physically situated. (Yes, I know moving an entire house is a possibility… but is it, really?) Take into account commute times, school districts, and proximity to the things you like to do, whether that is shopping, golf, hiking, or other entertainment venues. Have a serious talk with yourself about what you want your time allocation to look like. 

Remember, a lot like in life, love at first sight isn’t really a thing. Finding The One is a great balance of budget, location, and a little bit of dreaming.