Home Buying Process-- Step 2

Once you’ve decided how much you want to afford, where and what you want, and who you want to help, the fun begins. A lot of people don't see the next step as being fun but looking through potential homes is an exciting and adventurous time. Unfortunately, the "Tour Homes" step is one that frequently results in confusment, discouragement, or being just overwhelmed. In order to avoid those pitfalls and make the most of your home tours, follow these 3.3 simple steps:

1. Compare each property to your desired lifestyle and financial goals and adjust if needed.
You set goals before you went out, now is the time to see how realistic those goals are. If a home doesn't help you get to where you hope to be, you shouldn't invest too much thought or emotion into the home. However, if your goals are higher than your wallet, then the home tour stage is where you will find all that out. It is important to be willing to check the realisticness of your goals and refine your goals if necessary. When selecting houses to tour, keep your goals in mind.

2. Imagine what the home would look like if you were yours.
There are some important questions to consider as you tour a home. As you remember that many of the factors of a home can be changed, ask yourself: How would you layout furniture? How would you decorate? Would you paint the walls a different color? Would you renovate any of the rooms? Think about your lifestyle as you see your furniture in the home and feel how the rooms flow together. In your mind, make the home yours and feel the home as if you live there.

3. Look for good and bad designs/layouts/decorations.
Even if the home doesn't work or excite you, try to take something positive from every home tour. Look at layouts and decorations, you may see some things that are good ideas and work well and you may see some that you wouldn't do. You can take a lot of good ideas for things that work and see what doesn't work in a home and use them for your home.

3.3. Ask yourself, “Can I see myself living here for the next 3-5 years?”
Once you find a home that excites you and fits your goals, ask yourself if you could live there for a period of 3-5 years. Why 3-5 years? Well, that is the minimum amount on time needed to really do well in real estate and come out financially ahead in an investment. If at all possible, you will want to own your real estate investments as long as possible in order to build lasting wealth.