decision based on pressure or weariness, and definitely don’t choose a home that you’re not 100% sure about or comfortable with, because you’ll probably be paying your mortgage or paying monthly rent for that thing for years. And you definitely don’t want to end up in another pre-foreclosure situation, so you’ll need to find something affordable and realistic.
So, where do you start?
MAKE A LIST
You have an idea of what your dream house would be like, but this impression in your mind will be much clearer and more useful if you actually put pen to paper and make a complete checklist of your needs and wants. It’s a good idea to start from the outside in, instead of inside out. This would mean considering location first. Location could be a need instead of a want. For example, if you got a promotion that requires you to move out of the city, then location is top priority and your highest need. But if you would like to stay in your area of your city, then location becomes closer to a “want” — such as a neighborhood you prefer for its specific amenities. Or for parents with young children or adult children with elderly parents, or broken families, location would be a need. It would be more of a desire if those factors don’t apply. Here’s another example of how location applies: Let’s say you fall head over heels in love with a certain home, but it’s on a busy, loud, or annoyingly unfinished road; you might eventually regret your decision to move there, even if you love everything else about the home, particularly if you have children or pets.
KNOWWHAT YOU NEED
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