The Buying Process
Needs and Wants
Needs and wants list
Before you start looking, make a list of what you want and need. Once your list is made, go back over it and decide what is most important--which items are musts and which you are willing to give up. Assign each item a priority so that you will know what to look for as you begin house hunting.
Location
Deciding where you want to live may be the single most important factor in choosing a home. Location to employment centers, shopping centers, schools, major traffic arteries, and other attractions are important and have significant influences on value.
Your choice of location may be limited somewhat by the price you can afford. Even so, make sure you consider such things as:
A single-family detached home typically provides more living space and land area than other types of living units and permits you greater freedom (less restrictions) to remodel, expand, paint, and alter the appearance.
If you don't like spending leisure time on yard work, consider a condo or garden (patio) home. Condos and garden homes often offer shared greenbelts and garden areas or membership in private recreational facilities such as swimming, golf,
and tennis.
New vs. older homes
Preowned homes usually have established yards, and the neighborhood or subdivision is usually built-out. On the other hand, they may require
more maintenance.
New homes are not without problems. Although they require less maintenance in the first few years, you may have to put in landscaping and call the builder back to correct faults. And if buildings are still active in the area, you may have to endure nearby construction.
You could already have your dream home in mind. Then again, you might not know what you like until you see it. Either way, your Texas REALTOR® will listen to your preferences and help you find the perfect home.
Before you start looking, make a list of what you want and need. Once your list is made, go back over it and decide what is most important--which items are musts and which you are willing to give up. Assign each item a priority so that you will know what to look for as you begin house hunting.
Location
Deciding where you want to live may be the single most important factor in choosing a home. Location to employment centers, shopping centers, schools, major traffic arteries, and other attractions are important and have significant influences on value.
Your choice of location may be limited somewhat by the price you can afford. Even so, make sure you consider such things as:
- prices of properties and property taxes;
- distance to work, schools, shopping, and entertainment;
- proposed changes in land use such as commercial shopping centers and roads, and potential hazards such as flooding and noise from a nearby airport
or highways.
A single-family detached home typically provides more living space and land area than other types of living units and permits you greater freedom (less restrictions) to remodel, expand, paint, and alter the appearance.
If you don't like spending leisure time on yard work, consider a condo or garden (patio) home. Condos and garden homes often offer shared greenbelts and garden areas or membership in private recreational facilities such as swimming, golf,
and tennis.
New vs. older homes
Preowned homes usually have established yards, and the neighborhood or subdivision is usually built-out. On the other hand, they may require
more maintenance.
New homes are not without problems. Although they require less maintenance in the first few years, you may have to put in landscaping and call the builder back to correct faults. And if buildings are still active in the area, you may have to endure nearby construction.
You could already have your dream home in mind. Then again, you might not know what you like until you see it. Either way, your Texas REALTOR® will listen to your preferences and help you find the perfect home.
