The San Diego Real Estate BLOG:
Home Buying Criteria
So you have decided that home ownership is for you.
But where to start?
It may seem like there are million things to consider, but in actuality, the list of what REALLY isn’t nearly as long as you think, and there is no need to stress.
We’re here for you.
This week on the San Diego Real Estate BLOG, The Yarbrough Group is here to help you make sense of the chaos.
Here are the criteria you actually need to consider when looking to buy a home.
Location Location Location
So where do you want to live?
This is where all home searches begin. Obviously price will be a factor (more on than in a minute), but the very first thing to consider is potential locations for your home.
Do you have family you want to live near? Do you hate commuting and want to live as near to work as possible? Do you use public transportation and need to be near bus and or train lines?
Even price can be changed to accomodate these needs, but geography has to come first.
Once you have a clear list of priorities you can move on to…
Price
How much do you want to spend?
How much can you spend?
How much are you willing to spend?
These questions all need to be addressed next. If a short commute is vital, you may have to “pay more to get less” in order to live close to your job. Do you have kids and need a yard? In this case your commute will probably suffer, but the good news is larger homes with more land will be cheaper the further you get from urban centers. Maybe you work from home so this isn’t an issue for you. Is having a newer home vital to you, or are you more comfortable with something that “has a few miles on it.”
You get the point. In the end this is a question of priorities and only you have the answers.
If this is already getting a bit nebulous, don’t worry, once we finish the list, we have a “cheat sheet” of sorts waiting to help keeps things simple.
This is also a good time to get pre-approved by a lender so that you know, realistically, what your budget and potential options are.
Size and Basic Features
Now that geography and price have been roughly worked out, it’s time to address your personal needs.
Are you unable to climb stairs and as such need a single level home or an elevator at the very least? Is it just you so one bedroom will suffice, or do you have several kids and need two or three? Are you OK sharing a single bathroom with everyone in the house, or do you want your own private shower?
Make a list of bedrooms, bathrooms, and about how much square footage you think are reasonable and add them to the list.
Design and Amenities
So now that you have the essentials down you can begin to think about what you actually WANT.
Do you abhor stucco and insist on living in only homes with wood-siding? Are you only interested in living in a Craftsman Bungalow? Do you need lots of windows and light, or do you prefer things dark and quiet? Do you need a pool in the yard?
Come up with a list of the ten most important features that you want in your dream home.
Making Sense of the List
I am sure by now you see the rub. What if something in the Design and Amenities section goes back and contradicts something in the location section? What if you know exactly where to find your dream home (in fact the current owners are frankly tired of you cruising slowly past their house and ogling it), but can’t afford it.
It’s time to ask yourself the tough question and get some real answers….
And the answer is priorities and rankings. Take everything from the list above and then rank each of the items on a scale of 1-4, 1 being “absolutely essential,” 2 and 3 being “like but not essential,” and 4 being “that would be nice if everything else works out.”
The Cheat Sheet
Fill this out and next to each item place either a 1, 2, 3, or 4:
Location(s)
– ______________________________ [ /4]
– ______________________________ [ /4]
– ______________________________ [ /4]
– ______________________________ [ /4]
Price Range:
$__________ to $__________ [ /4]
Essentials:
# of Bedrooms: __________ [ /4]
# of Bathrooms: __________ [ /4]
Square Footage: __________ [ /4]
Additional Personal Requirements/Essentials (Ground Floor etc) and Rank 1-4
Design and Amenities:
#01 ______________________________ [ /4]
#02 ______________________________ [ /4]
#03 ______________________________ [ /4]
#04 ______________________________ [ /4]
#05 ______________________________ [ /4]
#06 ______________________________ [ /4]
#07 ______________________________ [ /4]
#08 ______________________________ [ /4]
#09 ______________________________ [ /4]
#10 ______________________________ [ /4]
Getting Professional Help
As we said, we’re here for you.
Even if you have your perfect checklist totally planned out, there is simply no substitute for experience and local knowledge, or even an outside perspective to help make sense of it all.
After all, a home is the largest purchase most people make in their lifetime.
We are here to help.
Our buyers agents Svetlana and Dianna have over 25 years of combined real estate experience and would be happy to help you find YOUR San Diego Dream Home.
Just give them call or shoot them an email today. They would be happy to help you create your ideal checklist and help you make your dream of home ownership a reality.
Svetlana Alleshouse
(818) 699-3444
Svetlana@TheYarbroughGroup.com
Dianna Meza
(619) 993-8161
Dianna@TheYarbroughGroup.com
While you are here, you might want to check out our series of posts on Buying a Home
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