The House of Your Dreams

The House of Your Dreams

Before deciding which house to buy, think about your lifestyle, your current and anticipated housing needs, and your budget. Finding the right house involves striking a balance between your wish list and the reality of the housing market.

Your Wish List

When creating your wish list, take a look at your lifestyle.  For example, if you love to cook, you'll want a well-equipped kitchen.  If you love to garden, you'll want a yard.  If you want to work at home, you may want a room for a separate library or home office.  If you have several cars, you may require a garage or parking spaces.

Write down on paper all the things you and your co-purchaser, if there is one, would love to have in your home.  You can let your imagination take over, but realize that you will have to cut the list back later.

As you think about your housing needs, it's important to consider how long you may live in your home.  If you are newly married, you might not be concerned with a school district right now.  But you could be in several years.  Will you move then — or is the house you are looking for now is in a neighborhood where good schools are available?  If you have aging parents, might they need to live with you in the near future?  If so, you may want to look at homes that offer living arrangements for them as well as you.  So, when preparing your wish list, factor in both your current housing needs and what you may anticipate a few years from now.