Spring is here and many homebuyers are going to be looking at Davie real estate over the coming months. If you’re going to be looking for a new home, there’s one thing you’ll soon discover if you didn’t know it already: The home of your dreams isn’t going to meet all your needs and wants.
Unless you build a custom home, every home you look at will likely be missing something on your list of needs and wants. You’ll find that you can adjust your list, but some things aren’t worth the compromise. The tips below will help you make the best choice.
Tip 1: Don’t Buy In a Neighborhood That Doesn’t Meet Your Needs
Sometimes it’s easy to fall in love with a house before you consider if it’s in the best location for your lifestyle. You can change many things about a house, but location isn’t one of them!
If you had your heart set on a walkable neighborhood, you’ll get frustrated over time if you buy in a sprawling suburb. If you talk yourself into the fact that you’ll get accustomed to the noise of airplanes taking off, you’ll start to resent your location. Remain firm on what you want in terms of location.
Tip 2: Don’t Buy a Fixer Upper if You Planned on Avoiding Home Projects
People look for turnkey homes for a number of reasons. Some people wouldn’t recognize a hammer if they saw one, and they know that renovating isn’t their forte. Other people may have done renovations before and know that they hate it.
You may talk yourself into thinking that a renovation won’t be that bad, but you may change your mind. Unfortunately, once you’ve purchased the home, changing your mind isn’t really an option.
Tip 3: Don’t Buy a Home That Will Require a Long Commute
If you’re comfortable with a 30 minute commute to work, don’t even look at homes that would require an hour of travel time each way. The typical justification here is this: The commute won’t bother me because of all the great things I’ll see in this house when I get home. That state of euphoria isn’t going to last forever, and may not last after the first few weeks.
Tip 4: Don’t Buy a Home that is Much Smaller or Larger than What You Had in Mind
If you wanted to buy a 2000 square foot home, don’t be tempted by one that is 1600 square feet. Sure, the kids would be able to share a room, but will they do that without killing one another? And, what about as they get older and privacy becomes of prime importance?
On the other hand, if you fall in love with a 3000 square foot home, you may not think about the time required to maintain it, the cost of heating and cooling, or the high property taxes. However, those things can quickly turn into burdens once you move in.
Tip 5: Don’t Spend More Than the Amount You Budgeted
It’s easy to justify going over budget. You could calculate how much more it would cost you per month. And, while an extra $100 per month may not sound like much initially, it often makes an uncomfortable difference later on.
People with that philosophy often find themselves “house poor.” They may have things they want to do or purchase that won’t be possible with a higher mortgage payment. In addition, a more expensive home often costs more to maintain, and property taxes will be higher.
Final Thoughts
Make sure you find the best home for you and your family by starting out with a list of needs and wants, and finalizing a pre-approval for a mortgage. Once you have that foundation, make sure you stand firm on your “needs” and only compromise on things you want, or that would be nice to have.
If you’re planning to buy Davie real estate, you’ll find that there are a lot of things to do in Davie, including the Everglades Day Safari, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, nature centers, and much more. Make sure you get the guidance you need to find your dream home. The local Davie real estate agents on the Teri Arbogast Team know the market and can help you stand firm on those issues you really shouldn’t compromise on!
