Homebuying Tips: Enter the Housing Market with a Plan

by Lisa Duguay, ABR, SRES 10/21/2018

If you intend to find your dream house, it helps to establish a homebuying strategy. That way, you can enter the real estate market with a plan in place to accomplish your desired goals.

Now, let's take a look at three tips to help you craft an effective homebuying strategy.

1. Create Homebuying Criteria

If you know where you want to reside, you can narrow your house search. As a result, you may be better equipped than other buyers to accelerate the homebuying journey.

Creating a list of home must-haves and wants usually is a great starting point for homebuyers. This list typically forces homebuyers to think about what separates an ordinary residence from a dream house. And once a homebuyer crafts a list of home must-haves and wants, this buyer can search for residences that meet his or her expectations.

2. Budget for a Home

In most instances, homebuyers lack the necessary financing to buy a house. Luckily, lenders are available that can help a homebuyer assess mortgage options and get pre-approved for home financing.

Budgeting for a home is a major part of the homebuying process. Because if you know exactly how much you can spend on a residence, you could speed up your house search.

To get pre-approved for a mortgage, you should meet with a variety of banks and credit unions. Then, when you find the right mortgage, you can enter the real estate market with a budget at your disposal.

3. Hire a Real Estate Agent

There is no requirement to hire a real estate agent before you pursue your dream house. Yet the advantages of hiring a real estate agent can be significant, and perhaps it is easy to understand why.

For homebuyers, a real estate agent takes the guesswork out of finding the right house at the right price. A real estate agent also collaborates with a homebuyer and will go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure a buyer can achieve the optimal results.

If you want to purchase a house as quickly as possible, it may be a good idea to hire a real estate agent sooner rather than later. Oftentimes, a real estate agent will meet with you and learn about your homebuying aspirations. He or she next will work with you to craft a homebuying strategy and launch a successful house search.

Furthermore, a real estate agent is a housing market expert who will help you overcome any potential homebuying hurdles. A real estate agent understands the challenges associated with purchasing a house and will help you identify and address such issues before they escalate. And if you ever have concerns or questions as you search for your ideal residence, a real estate agent will respond to them.

Enter the real estate market with a plan in hand – take advantage of the aforementioned tips, and you can create an effective strategy to streamline your search for your dream residence.

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.