Steps to Take Towards Purchasing a Home in 2022
New Year’s is a great time for reflection and setting new goals and intentions for the upcoming year. Even if you don’t subscribe to making resolutions, it can still be a nice marker of time and a chance to reorient and regroup around your goals. If one of those goals happens to be buying a home this year, here are a few steps to take now to ensure you’re ready!
1. Start (or keep) saving
Buying a house is an expensive process. Not only is there a down payment to consider but there are other costs associated with it. You’ll need funds for closing costs, moving expenses, and any initial projects you might want to tackle. You’ll also have to consider HOA fees, homeowner’s insurance, and property taxes. So, if you’re already saving, great! Keep it up. If not, start that now while you get your other ducks in a row.
2. Keep an open mind
While we all have our dreams in mind when house-hunting, stay open to other possibilities. Stay flexible in your location, amenities and must haves. The current market is still a seller’s market, meaning there’s lower inventory and higher prices. So, staying a bit more flexible and open with your must-haves will broaden your options and lead you to a great place sooner. If you only look at turnkey properties, you might miss great homes in your price range with more square footage or bigger outdoor spaces. Or if you are set in stone about a single family detached home, you might miss that townhouse in your dream location.
3. Be firm in your budget
Once you know how much your maximum budget is for purchasing a home, stick with it. It’s tempting to want to win at all costs, especially if there are multiple offers on the table. But if you throw in extra cash attempting to win the bid, you might end up with more mortgage than you can comfortably handle. One pro tip is to look only at houses slightly below your maximum price point. Let’s say you can feasibly afford a $300,000 home. Perhaps only look for homes $250,000-$275,000. This way you won’t be as tempted to go over budget if you need a little extra to throw in for leverage during a bidding war situation.
4. Stick with it
In today’s market and real estate climate, you might not land your dream home on the first try. But don’t get discouraged. That’s completely normal in a seller’s market. Stick with it and be persistent to achieve your goal. And with a reliable and experienced real estate professional beside you every step of the way, you’ll be successful in the end. They can help you navigate composing an offer, negotiating the details of a contract and closing the deal.
If you hope to make this the year you invest in real estate and start growing your equity, give me a call and let’s get started.
