Buying

If you’re looking to purchase a home to live in, this is the place to start.   If you’re looking for an agent to talk to or work with, go to our Agents page -- just a reminder that all of our agents love answering questions and there is never any obligation or fee to talk to us!  You can also directly contact me if you need help in matching up with an agent. 

A Quick Car Analogy

If you’re willing to patronize an analogy, I promise I’ll get to the point soon after.  When a person buys their first car, it’s not just about the reliability, gas mileage, size, and price.  A lot of different things can come into play, like needing to understand the responsibilities and costs of car ownership, or considering future life dynamics that might inform the current decision.  Is there a partner in the picture that can’t drive a stick shift?  Maybe that means you definitely buy the manual.  If there’s potential for a job change in the future, a car with really good gas mileage might be the best.  If there are two children in the family and two more on the way, then maybe it’s a good idea to look into the minivan. 

In the same way, buying a house isn’t just about getting the right number of bedrooms with a new roof, or just making sure the finances are handled properly in order to close out the purchase.  It’s also about making sure the home buyer is ready to face the challenges of home owning, and also able to choose the house based on future dynamics they might not be thinking about.  

Basic Home Buying

Every home purchase requires shopping for a home first, which entails nailing down a neighborhood, setting up showings, wading through all the differences in each house, figuring out one’s budget, navigating bidding wars, negotiating home inspections, and satisfying all the requirements for closing out a mortgage.  After purchase, you then have dynamics around dealing with neighbors or condo associations, how much to save for potential large repairs, basic home maintenance, and whether or not to spend money on improvements. 

Finding Joy

The most important dynamic in buying a home is finding joy in the process.  Nothing better than seeing dozens of houses and taking a moment to understand the purpose of a particular layout, the history of an old home, and to daydream about how this new place could fit your life better than your old place.  It never gets old for me, I even see houses while on vacation whenever I see an interesting place with a “for sale” sign in front! 

The agent-buyer relationship is so important to this aspect of home buying. You should feel comfortable with your agent, never judged but periodically confronted by truth, and above all else, be able to find an agent you trust and know that they have your best interest in mind.