As Flower Mound realtors who have had plenty of experience with potential home buyers, we know how confusing and even chaotic the search for a North Texas home can be – especially when you haven’t set the top priorities for what you really want in a home. As you move through the process of buying a home, it is critical to establish the most important factors early on, so that you will know when it’s time to compromise and when it’s best to stick to your own criteria.
Keep in mind that rarely does a home buyer get everything on their “wish list” in a home. In fact, once you have purchased a home you will likely be surprised how dramatic the differences are between the list you began with, and how it changed along the course of buying a home!
Basically, there are three “phases” of the journey in buying a home; along this journey, your priorities or criteria will come to light; some priorities will change.
First, the “dreaming” phase. You know what you have always dreamed of in a home, and today you can get a grasp of what’s out there thanks to online listings and the Internet. At this stage, you can start defining those things you must have, and what it would be nice to have.
Take things to the next level by getting pre-approved with your bank and working with a reputable realtor. When you get to the serious phase of the journey, the two most important criteria are location and price. For most people, price is the top priority; after all, you can only pick from the homes you can afford. There is no sense in dreaming of those homes that are out of your price range. Also keep in mind that if you find the right location but the home isn’t exactly what you had pictured, it may be worth doing a little renovation. For some buyers, location is everything when it comes to the school district, crime rate, community involvement, employment, etc.
Last but not least, expect to compromise. In most cases, it just isn’t possible to find a home that meets all of your criteria in terms of number of bedrooms/baths, square footage, and location. Is location more important, or size? In most cases, the location of a home determines its size.
Once you have decided on the above, you can then start thinking about other priorities including an open floor plan, a spacious kitchen, in-ground pool, basement, etc.
Narrowing down your priorities helps you and your realtor quickly find a home that is ideal for your family. Your real estate agents can find the homes that suit your criteria, and you can choose from just those that are suitable rather than wasting your time with dozens of homes that don’t even come close to what you dream of in a home.
At Team Nelson, we want to help you find the home that meets your needs, and help you avoid wasting precious time and effort with homes that are completely unsuitable. If you are searching for a home in the Flower Mound, Denton, Frisco, or other Dallas-Ft. Worth metro areas, give us a call today!
