Taking that first step to buy a new home — whether it’s your first, second or “forever” one — can feel exciting, overwhelming, and daunting all at once. 

And when you are looking for your next best home, you may want to dream bigger this time around but don’t know how to make it affordable with your budget.

It can be done. And I can show you how!

In this 7-part series, How to Find the Perfect Home for You and Your Budget, you’ll learn how to incorporate helpful strategies to find a home that is the right fit for your lifestyle, needs, and your budget.

Even though you’ve bought and maybe even sold before, the best first step — even if you are months or years away from wanting to actually make a move — is to understand the process of finding your new perfect home in today’s market. 

That way, you are on the most direct path to finding a home that’s both in your budget AND that you love too. Many people think that’s a tall order, but it’s not with my unique process for helping to make it a reality.  

Here’s a quick summary of the “perfect home-buying” strategies I use to help my clients and also the topics of each week of my How to Find The Perfect Home For You and Your Budget series:

Week 1 — 12 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Ever Start Looking at Homes 

Before you do anything else, you must evaluate your wants and needs for a home at this time in your life and at least 5 years ahead. Most likely, your life has changed since you bought your current home. This step will be the very first, but most important one on your home-buying journey. These 12 questions will get you thinking out-of-the-box about your home search and get you going in the right direction. I promise, they aren’t what you think they are!

Week 2— Are You a “House” or a “Location” Person?

It’s time for some more self-evaluation and for you to really decipher what’s most important to you in your daily life at home. Usually people tend to lean toward one or the other — being a “house person” or “location person.” Going through this exercise will help you prioritize your criteria and help you zero-in on what’s most important to you for this next home.

Week 3 – The 3 Steps Most Buyers Skip When Buying a Home

Purchasing a home is a big financial decision, and it should be done with care and precision. This article will go over the 3 steps you need to take that can lead you to the right home for the budget you’ve set.

Week 4 – How to Finance Your Home Purchase

There is so much more than meets the eye when it comes to financing your home purchase. Gone are the days when one loan fits all buyers and you buy a home for whatever you’re approved for (most people are approved by a lender for WAY more than they want to spend).  This important article will go over why it’s important to get the lender and pre-approval process done early and correctly so that you can move forward quickly if you want to make a serious offer on a home.

Week 5 – Putting It All Together to Find Your New Home

These three factors – budget, location, and your criteria for a home — are intertwined and play a key role in finding the “perfect” home for you. This article explains how these three factors influence each other in your search for a home; and how to “put it all together.”  This process creates your specific roadmap for house hunting. Going through this process and understanding how they’re linked will help you make the right decision on your next home.

Week 6 – What You Need to Know About Buying for Schools

Kids or no kids, living in a neighborhood with excellent schools can be beneficial to homeowners.  For example, living within the boundary for what’s considered a “better” school could mean a higher resale value and vice versa. For those of you with school-age kids, “moving for schools” will most likely dictate the location of your next home. But, remember that fair housing laws prevent any real estate agent from offering opinions on the quality of the schools or school districts.  This article is a great starting point on how you can best search for a home if a school district is your #1 priority.

Week 7 – “As Is” Home – Deal or No Deal?

Some buyers may be tempted to buy an “as is” home if the price is right to get into a neighborhood they love. You do need to tread carefully, though, since there can be vast differences on the state of “as is” condition.  Remember, the seller has no intention to do any repairs before selling it. This article will discuss the steps you should take if you plan to make an offer on an “as is” home, and how to determine if it’s a deal or no deal.

Look out for my weekly emails for this series so you can learn everything you need to know to buy the perfect home for you and your budget — and avoid buyer’s remorse!!

If you or anyone you know needs help finding the “perfect” home within whatever budget they’ve set, I’d love to help.  My unique approach will help them achieve both goals — a home they love that doesn’t break the bank.