Why Open Houses Are Useful When You’re Not Ready To Buy

by Lisa Duguay, ABR, SRES 06/24/2018

When everything is online, it’s hard to discern when getting up, leaving the house, and checking out a home can be helpful. There’s so much information regarding real estate online; you probably want to pick and choose when and where you go to see a home. Even if you’re nowhere near being able to buy a home, you may want to check out open houses to help you in the future.


Looking at real estate is fun. You can dream of living in a neighborhood on the street you may never be able to afford. There are many advantages to checking out open houses. 


You’ll Understand How Far Your Dollar Will Stretch


The type of home that you can afford, and the type of home you want may not be in the same ballpark. If you take a look at different open houses, you may be able to see where your budget takes you. Even if the market changes, you’ll be able to match your expectations with your wallet. As you know what’s out there, you’ll be able to hone in on what you want in a home. 


From here, it will be easier to work with a real estate agent because you’ll be able to give them a better idea of what you want when the time does come to buy a home. 


It Will Be Easier To Hire An Agent


As you go to open houses, you’ll meet more real estate agents. These agents can become potential hires once you do get more serious about buying.


You’ll See The Market Firsthand


Besides understanding how much house you can get for your dollar, you’ll be able to get an idea of how many buyers are actually out there. If you’re seeing many other potential buyers at open houses, you may be facing quite a bit of competition when you head out to buy a home of your own. When the competition is high, you’re looking at offering above asking price for houses. You could even get into bidding wars. A lot of other buyers doesn’t mean you should back out of buying a home altogether, but just enter the market with caution. 


You Can Discover New Areas


By exploring open houses, you may find a neighborhood that you love that wasn’t on your list before. How can you get to know an area if you have never spent time there before? 


You’ll Learn Where You Need To Compromise


By looking at different houses, you can see the potential (or lack thereof) in many homes. If you can see where you’d be willing to compromise long before the home search is on, your search will be that much smoother   


About the Author
Author

Lisa Duguay, ABR, SRES

Lisa is a sales and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience representing buyers and sellers throughout Fairfield County. Her deep understanding of local residential markets and current trends along with the exceptional local and global networking resources of Berkshire Hathaway allow her to provide the highest level of personalized, professional and confidential services to her clients. An experienced listener and negotiator, she works with her clients to thoroughly understand and achieve the results they desire. Dedicated, discreet, ethical, honest and principled, Lisa has been consistently recognized as a top producing agent and is a trusted resource within her communities. * Certified Relocation Specialist *Accredited Real Estate Buyer’s Representative (ABR) *Accredited, Senior Real Estate Specialist Council (SRES) *Member, National Association of Realtors *Member, Connecticut Association of Realtors *Member, Greater Fairfield Board of Realtors * Member, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Lisa is a lifelong area resident who grew up in Westport and currently resides in Southport. She is actively involved as a volunteer for several local organizations including the CT Alzheimer’s Association.