How to Buy a Home

Welcome back, everyone. I'm Ilyce Glink with expertrealestatetips.net, and today we're talking about how to figure out what you really want in your next home.
 

The best way to figure out what you want is to create something called a wish list.

That's a written list of all the features you really want in the next house you buy. It might include the size of the house, the amenities it contains, its location in town, the distance it is from work or your family and a myriad of other choices.

Let's take a look at some of the things that are important to think about when deciding to buy a house:

First, you've got to think about the location of the property. And it's not just the city or town it's in, or the school district, but even whether you prefer to buy a house that's in the center of a block or on a corner. Is the property close to a grocery store or a Starbucks? Where will you worship and how far will you want to travel to get to work or to see your family?

Next, you want to think about the size house you need. How many bedrooms do you want? How much of a garden do you want to take care of?

Do you want a home that you can expand in the future? Do you need a home office?

Third, you want to think about the different amenities that you want.

Do you want a garage? A gourmet kitchen? Master bedroom and bath? You should think about whether you want a fireplace, central air conditioning and hardwood floors or carpet.

Some of these things you can add in later, but if you can find a house that already has the gourmet kitchen, it'll be a lot easier down the line.

Before you even start to look for a home, you and whoever else is buying this house with you should create your own wish lists. Divide the list by location, size, amenities and even the condition of the home.

Fill it out, and then sit down with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, something stronger and try to meld your two lists into one that really focuses on what both of you want in the home that you want to buy.

I'll put up a sample wish list on my Web site, expertrealestatetips.net that you can download so that you make sure you don't forget anything.

This video is also available on YouTube: Video: How to Buy a Home

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NOTE: This video transcript is distributed by Real Estate Matters Syndicate, PO Box 366, Glencoe, Illinois, 60022. This content may not be resold, reprinted, resyndicated or redistributed without written permission from the publisher.