The American Dream – having the house with the white picket fence, and 2.5 kids. That’s what they always told us growing up. The reality is our own dreams are often a bit different than what they tell us they should be. Our quest for our dream home took us to a quiet neighborhood a few miles away, close enough to the water we could sit and listen to the waves crash but close enough to the highway we can be in the city in a matter of minutes.
Finding Your Dream Home
Actually finding your dream home can take some work and time. For us, it was over three years of searching and working with different agents. We didn’t need a ton of space, but we needed to be in a different area. When you’re looking for your dream home, you have to decide what is most important to you. Is it the neighborhood? The updated kitchen? Or the yard space? Do you want the hot new area? Start searching listings and narrow down what you can actually afford in your budget.
Finding the Key Elements You Want
For us, we really only needed three bedrooms and one would be my in home office. But I wanted a kitchen that was updated (at least since the 1990’s) and that had more counter space for cooking. A garage? That wasn’t as important as we thought and was actually something we don’t have in our new home. But the kitchen and the bathrooms were fully updated within the year before we purchased it and provided the space we needed.
Make a list, prioritize what you must have and what are just wants. You will figure out quickly what is a need and what isn’t.
Finding Financing
Once you know what you really need for your new home, you’ll have to find out what you can afford. From financing the home, the updates or even how your budget can work for your taxes in the next year. Check sites like Rusty Tweed for the latest news on the mortgages and the real estate market. Getting a better understanding of your own financial situation and the market will be a big part of your journey.
Locate The Area You Want to Live
Location is key – we’ve all heard that saying “Location location location”. Is there a school district you want your kids to go to? Or how about a quicker commute for your job? Have you always wanted to live in New Orleans? Louisiana is a hub for music and a unique cultural world capital which makes it a great place to settle down. To help you make a more informed decision, here are 7 Reasons To Relocate To New Orleans, LA.
Doing research on the area is important before you move there since you most likely will be living in your new home for several years if not longer. You can always look up the best things to do in the area, the air quality and even local crime statistics.
Get Your House on the Market
Before you can buy your dream house, you probably have to sell the house you’re in now. There are great realtors and brokers who can help you get the most money for your house. Right now is a seller’s market and items are selling fast. Our friends at Rusty Tweed are just one of several different property companies you can look at to sell your house.
Clear the clutter, pack away the things you don’t need right now and put some in storage. Once your house sells you’ll be able to move to a new place without the stress of paying two mortgages at once.
