Let’s say you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before, visiting a friend who just moved to another city, for example. Would you jump in your car and start driving without first punching in the address to your navigation? Starting a home search without having clearly defined “directions” is much the same. Avoid all the wrong turns and dead ends by first punching in WHY + WHAT + HOW to your real estate navigation.

✨WHY✨
Buying a home in today’s market is not easy. It’s expensive, stressful, and time consuming. Be clear on WHY you are taking on this journey. Keep in mind that you’ll be competing against folks who have a baby on the way, just got married, had a job transfer, want better schools for their kids. It will be hard to match their enthusiasm at the bidding war table if the only reason to buy for you is that interest rates are low. 

✨WHAT✨
As in what can you do without. Decide before the search. Often buyers start with a long list of “nice-to-have” and get disappointed when homes don’t meet the criteria. We’re in a massive housing shortage. Start with a list of bare minimums. It's much more pleasant to arrive at a home and discover it exceeds your list.

✨HOW✨
As in “how much can you afford?” This is the step that so many first time buyers like to skip. If you haven’t talk to a mortgage professional to get pre-approved for a home loan, you don’t even have the address to your friend’s new house yet. You aren’t going any where. Get pre-approved for a home loan first.

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