Information to Bring to Your Realtor to Help Them Find You a Home
Buying a home is more than just finding the right realtor and then searching through listings until something pops out at you. There is work that you have to put into finding the home too. It's not a good idea to simply rely only on a realtor to find you the right home, you need to give them enough information and details about what you are looking for in order for them to narrow down the search.
Here is some information you need to bring to your realtor so they can help you find the right home for you.
Your Budget
Before you search through listings and find a dream home, you need to know if you can actually afford that house. So, before you even contact a realtor, you need to know what your total budget is. This should include the price of the home itself, closing costs, lawyer costs, taxes, and commission factored into it as well. You should also potentially budget for any renovations or repairs that might need to be made on the home.
Once you have a good idea of how much of a down payment you can make, and what you will qualify for a mortgage for, bring this information to your realtor. They can now take what you are looking for in a home combined with your budget and search property listings that you can actually afford, but could potentially love.
Whether You're Planning Lifestyle Changes
When you are searching for a home, you might be thinking of only your current housing needs. This means if it's only the two of you living in the home for now, but you are planning on having kids in the future you might need a larger house. Or, perhaps you are planning on having senior family members come to live with you when they can no longer live on their own. You might also be thinking of turning a basement apartment into an income property.
These are major lifestyle changes and it's a good idea to let your realtor know that you are thinking of making big changes like this in the near future. A realtor can then advise you on the best options for housing that are comfortable for the present time and can provide for expansion in the future. This way you don't have to go through the selling and buying process within a few years' time. You already have a home capable of housing any additions to the family.
Whether You'll Do Repairs
You might neglect to tell your realtor whether or not you are handy and can do repairs or renovations on your own. This can be a mistake because a realtor who doesn't know whether or not you can do repairs or renovations on your own, or even if you are ok with hiring a contractor to make repairs before moving in, won't search for homes that could have great potential for you.
Let your realtor know if you are open to houses that are less than perfect, as well as ones that need no fixing up at all. This can expand your search range and could find your dream home at a great price.