In my last post, I talked about location being a decision factor for most people when it comes to buying a home. Often, the lifestyle that someone is looking to support or achieve with their home takes location one step further. As your guide in home buying, it’s important that I listen for these clues in order to best advise search.
Scenario 1
Let’s say you’re in your 20’s, a first time home buyer, and working in a metropolitan area. You also tell me that you don’t want to spend time with yard maintenance or worrying about snow removal, you want to be able to bike to work, and being able to walk to bars and restaurants is important. I would take that information and likely set up a search in a radius of a couple of miles from work, ensure that within the options, there are restaurants and bars nearby, and this would likely be a townhouse or condo with a homeowner’s association. As we begin to see properties, I will again listen and seek to understand the finishes and amenities that are important, as well as what things hold the most value for you as we discuss the budget.
Scenario 2
You’re looking to “level-up” in a home for your family. You have 3 kids, but only 1 has entered into school. You have a desirable entry-level home to sell with some equity. While your oldest has done well at their current school, you have some concerns about the quality and have heard really great things about a different school district. Additionally, being close to your place of work is important so that time with family can be maximized.
Given my background in education, we spend some time talking through what the educational experience is for your children that you are wanting. I help to gather some information on a few different school districts that are known for being great and are reasonably close to your work. From there, we talk about what you want for your home. We discuss things like size, number of bedrooms, how you want to use your home (entertaining, home office, bedrooms on one level), and what time of yard/property is desired. This is when the budget conversation would come into play as well.
All of the above pieces are really important as we set up a property search and prepare your current home for sale.
Scenario 3:
FINALLY!!! The day you thought would never come. Your children have been launched, AND you got the green light on retirement! CONGRATULATIONS, YOU MADE IT!
In all seriousness, this phase of life can come with all sorts of emotions. Big changes happen and the focus of your time and energy shifts.
Finding a home for this next phase can be just as varied as all the phases that came before. You might be looking to downsize or maybe you want the layout to be different so that when the children come home with their children, there is room for everyone. You may also be thinking about one-level living that will suit your needs well into retirement. OR, maybe you are thinking it’s time to relocate. The grandkids will visit, right?
As with each scenario before, it’s my job to listen, understand, and guide you to that vision. There will likely be emotions about selling the home you raised your children in, excitement about the next stage, and every feeling in between. We’ve got this! And, if you’re thinking about leaving the state for warmer weather (we do live in Minnesota after all), I likely have the perfect agent contact to refer you to.
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