bay, especially if you feel yourself falling in love with a home that doesn’t quite meet your criteria. This is a pit that too many buyers fall into, and they make an emotional decision while overlooking major issues. The parts of the home they “loved” don’t end up mattering in the long run, when they’re left with a home that doesn’t meet their needs, leaving them either unfulfilled or forced to abandon ship, putting the home on the market and starting the process all over again. One trick you can use to avoid becoming too attached right away is to see the potential property as a building that must be inspected and assessed for any issues. This will help give you some emotional distance and give you more power — the upper hand— in the negotiation process, should it come to that. VIEWAND VIEW SOME MORE (BUT NOT ALONE) Once you’ve found a prospect that not only has potential but meets all your needs and most of your wants, it’s important to view it again — in fact, multiple times would be best. You are more likely to discover more items, both positive and negative, in the home when you come back another time with fresh eyes. Perhaps you’ll find something that you didn’t notice before, something that could sway your decision to yea or nay. Try viewing the home at different times (morning, afternoon, evening). This will give you an even bigger and clearer picture of what living there, in that neighborhood and on that street, will be like. Traffic, busyness, noise, safety, neighbors, and animals are all factors you can pay attention to. Note: Don’t go out viewing homes — especially the same property multiple times —on your own. Let your agent do their job! First, there’s a security issue in visiting unoccupied houses by yourself. Further, doing this could make you vulnerable in other
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