7 Tips to Help You Find Your Dream Home

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7 Tips to Help You Find Your Dream Home
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• If youre a first-time buyer about to begin the
  process of becoming a homeowner, youre probably
  looking for your dream home. While some people
  will warn you its impossible to buy a dream home
  your first time around, thats not necessarily
  the truth. You just have to know what to do to
  discover it in your home search. These seven tips
  will make it easier for you to reach your goal.

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1. Get Pre-qualified
You may wonder what getting pre-qualified (or
even better, pre-approved) has to do with finding
your dream home. Its important to take this step
first before looking at homes, even though many
first-time buyers want to skip over it and jump
right into touring properties. The reason to
focus on financing first is youll know what you
can afford, rather than wasting your time looking
at homes out of your budget. Once youre
pre-qualified and have a budget in mind, you can
look at homes which fit the price range. This
ensures you find the dream home that you can
afford. If you start out looking at homes around
300,000 and are only approved for 250,000,
youll discover very few of the homes in your
price range measure up to those priced higher,
and youll feel like youre not getting a dream
home.
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2. Make a List and Check It Twice

• No, youre not asking Santa Claus to find you a
  house, but you are listing everything you would
  like to have in a home. Now is the time to let
  your imagination go wild. If you want granite
  countertops in the kitchen, put it on the list.
  Think about the ideal number of bedrooms and
  bathrooms, or how much outdoor space youd like
  to have. This step creates a picture of the ideal
  house in your mind. While you may think this
  wont work if you have a limited budget, youd be
  surprised at how many items wont be on your
  list. When you start looking at houses and find
  one with a hot tub, dont get sidetracked if that
  item didnt make your list.

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3. Prioritize

• Now you have your ultimate wish list. Its time
  to cut it down to size. Look through that list
  and put it in order of priorities. This is going
  to be a big task, because youre going to think
  you need to have everything. However, a few tips
  will help you break down your list and organize
  it according to whats most important

• What is essential for living? If you have two
  kids, a two- or three-bedroom house is a
  must-have. Four bedrooms are not.
• What do you already have in your current home
  that you would miss if your future home didnt
  have it? A dishwasher? Master bath? Think about
  what you really use in your daily routine.
• What do you currently complain about not having?
  Tired of going downstairs to do laundry in the
  basement? Wish you had a dishwasher, or more
  counter space in the bathroom or kitchen?
• Once you have your must-have list complete,
  anything left over are just bonuses that arent
  essential for a happy life. Dont toss them out
  just realize they arent as important as you
  first thought.

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4. Shop Online First

• Before you look at the actual houses, go online
  and see whats available in your price range.
  Look through the photos and read the information.
  Discover how many of your must-have items you can
  get in your budget and which extras you might
  also find. Your goal is to find the properties
  with all of your must-haves and one or two of the
  bonus features. This is the definition of a dream
  home for you.

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5. Tour Open Houses

• Start looking at homes by going to a few open
  houses. No matter how nice of a job the sellers
  or their agent did of recreating the home online,
  it wont replace the need to see it in person.
  Take your time going through the house and
  looking at both the positives and negatives. This
  will help you learn more about what you really
  want and need in a house. Once youve toured a
  few of these homes, look at your list again and
  see if youre willing to make a few concessions.
  Maybe a dishwasher isnt as important as more
  outdoor space or maybe you could find a
  work-around for no master bathroom.

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6. Find a Real Estate Agent

• While this tip is listed as sixth, it is of vital
  importance. An experienced agent who is
  knowledgeable of your desired neighborhood can
  help you immensely in your home search. They can
  tell you about homes you may not be aware of or
  even show you properties that might not seem like
  the right fit at first. Theyll also help you be
  more realistic in your search, which will enable
  you to avoid disappointment when your ideal home
  doesnt exist.

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7. Make Your Home Your Dream Home

• When its all said and done, the home that meets
  your needs is your dream home. It may not have
  everything you ever wanted, but its the dream
  home for you now. Make up your mind to love
  whatever home you choose and work on ways to turn
  it into the place you want to live.

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Questions? Comments?

• We are happy to help you!

• Website http//www.amysims.com
• Amy Sims
• info_at_amysims.com
• 949.559.5959
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•  Sources
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  d-your-dream-home