Your dream home...doesn’t have to be a dream!
You can drive yourself crazy searching for your dream home. You've found houses that have come close, after all. So the perfect one is bound to appear soon, right?
Not necessarily. I know the hunt can be emotionally draining, but at some point you have to go from house hunter to home owner. I’m not encouraging you to make a choice that will fill you with buyer's remorse, but to borrow a line from the Rolling Stones: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes ... you get what you need.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself; the answers will help you determine whether it’s time to settle on a home that might not be what your dreams are made of.
1. Are my expectations realistic?
Everyone has a dream home, but there is no such thing as a ‘perfect home’. There will always be something not so ideal in each house you visit. The key to finding the right home is setting realistic expectations. You might not find the ‘perfect’ home, but you can find a home that meets almost all of what you are looking for.
2. How many properties have I viewed?
When you're house hunting, it can be nearly impossible to know when you’ve looked at enough houses. After all, the ‘perfect’ house could be listed any day now, right? Go ahead and view online listings as much as you want, but you should set a limit for actual viewings.
In my opinion, if you view more than eight homes without finding a possibility, odds are that you may be confused as to what you’re actually looking for. If you find that you're searching for a ‘perfect’ home, take a moment to make a list of each property’s strengths and weakness, and then get ready to compromise.
3. What am I willing to compromise?
If you’ve set realistic expectations and looked at several properties, it may be time to make a decision. It might feel like settling, but you’ll probably thank me later when you’re finally a homeowner. Just make sure you’re not compromising on something you’ll regret later. If you’re not sure where to compromise, ask me, your Realtor!
