Mom Talks Real Estate

With a larger number of opportunities available to me as a buyer, you have told me to make “lifestyle choices” first. What does that mean?

Since there are opportunities in every real estate market across the country (and especially between Thanksgiving and Christmas when buyers often shop for gifts instead of homes), you have the chance to review what is important to you.

The primary reasons for buyer’s choices usually relate to family or work or health or free time activities. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself to help narrow your search.

Do I want to live close to (or maybe far away from) parents, children or siblings?

Are there specific schools, religious facilities, or medical facilities I need to be near?

How close to work do I want to be? Will I travel on foot, bicycle, public transportation or private car or by air or train?
How do I spend my free time? Do I like gardening, walking in natural areas, boating and water sports, horses, dogs, nearby restaurants and theater, college courses, etc,etc?

You can see that the thought process can be quite extensive. As you evaluate what is important to you, you can then look at the choices that fit the criteria.

Obviously you won’t choose downtown Manhattan or urban San Francisco if having your horses on your property is your most important criteria. And you won’t choose rural Montana or even rural California if being near a world renowned heart transplant hospital is your most important need.
After you’ve thought about your wishes, your locations will be significantly narrowed. Then you will make housing choices that fit in with your lifestyle wishes (urban condo, detached home in a child friendly neighborhood near a specific school, acreage that would permit horses, condo near the airport, etc.)

THEN IT IS TIME TO MAKE SURE YOUR CHOICES FIT IN WITH YOUR FINANCIAL ABILITIES! Most people start with their financial abilities and narrow with housing prices first…I believe it is important to evaluate your goals and desires first. Sometimes you can’t obtain all of your wishes in the first house, but the home you choose should fit in with your long range plans….so LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR FUTURE, and its housing component.