As a recap, you need to think about, determine, and write down what your non-negotiable (your needs) in terms of the features of your next home, and then write a new list of your wants—the elements in a home that would be “nice to have” but not critical. Seriously considering these two lists, and putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) will significantly help both you and your agent during the home-search process, narrowing the options and saving yourself a lot of time and headache. Remember, your ideal new home should meet all of your needs, and hit some of your wants. No home is perfect, and you need to be prepared to make some concessions, should the situation warrant it.
Step #5: Choose a Location
“Location, location, location!” While this term is often thrown around loosely in real estate, it’s used for a reason. In this case, this term refers to the fact that hands down, one of the most important choices someone can make when deciding which home to buy is location. For example, you’ll need to take into consideration the specific area of the city you’ll be moving to, the specific neighborhood, proximity to amenities and services that are and will continue to be important to you, crime statistics, noise levels, neighbors, parking, and traffic. The list goes on. Many seniors are particularly keen on quiet neighborhoods with low crime rates and easy access to needed amenities. As you can see, all of these components comprise the important factor of location.
In the end, you need to picture yourself living not only in the
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