requirements. Compromises will usually be necessary.
It’s a good idea to work from outside-the-house factors to inside- the-house. For example, location is perhaps the primary concern and both “needs” factors and “desires” factors might be involved. A “need” would be “must be within 25 miles of work.” A desire might be, “would like Westwood” (a favored neighborhood), while a need might be “on the west side of the city” (because work, family, friends, and recreation activities are all located there) or the need for a 2 car garage because winters are bad and you don't want to park those 2 new cars outside in bad weather. Location needs may include proximity to schools, frequently used recreation facilities, or mode of transportation (bus or suburban rail access). Whether an item is a need or a desire depends on circumstance. Closeness to family might be a need for a couple with young children or elderly parents to care for — or a desire if those factors aren’t involved. It’s items like these that make a checklist most helpful. After location needs and desires are compiled, housing factors can be considered. Needs include having all essential house structures and systems in good working order. Accepting a house that needs a new roof because the owner is willing to knock $7,000 off the listing price — but will cost $10,000 to replace in two years — is not a sensible deal. However, in a multiple offers, low inventory market such as what we have been experiencing during the last 2 years, that may end being a good deal or the only deal out there for a home that fits your needs. Needs might include a minimum number of bedrooms and bathrooms, no steps, a fenced yard, perhaps a first-floor laundry facility, and any feature prospective buyers have decided they cannot accept a home without. Desires are features that make the
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