Buying a home, especially the first time, is an exciting adventure. But whether you’re a first-time buyer or an old hand upgrading again, you want to make sure you’ve found the right house. There’s a lot of money riding on the decision and, as a result, a lot of pressure. You don’t want to act too precipitously and make an enormously costly mistake, but you also don’t want to sit on the fence too long and miss out on what might have been your dream home. So how do you decide? Read on to discover the 5 signs you’ve found the right house in New Jersey.
1. You Can Afford It
The first, and perhaps the most important, sign you’ve found the right house in New Jersey is that you can afford it, that it fits your budget. Your home should be a haven and a refuge from all the troubles of the world just outside the doors. But it can’t be that if you’re constantly stressing about making the mortgage payment coming up with money for repairs and insurance.
A good first step, then, is to sit down and determine what you can actually afford. And keep in mind the cost of home ownership includes more than the monthly mortgage payments. When determining affordability, you’ll also need to factor in homeowners insurance, private mortgage insurance, property taxes, maintenance/repairs, HOA fees, and more.
You can use one of the many online mortgage calculators, or, even better, consult your local agent. To find out more about determining affordability in order to find the right house, call 855-966-DEAL.
2. It Has All Your Must-Haves
A sure sign that you’ve found the right house in New Jersey is when you can tick all the boxes on your list of must-haves. If the house fits your budget and has all the features you must have, then it may very likely be the right house for you.
Of course, you do have to be careful to distinguish between must-haves and like-to-haves. It’s really not critical that a home has all the things you would simply like, but it should include all your non-negotiables. The right house in New Jersey, then, will hit all your deal breakers and will probably include a few or some of the extras you’d like.
Compromise is always part of the process, but the right house has to hit all your basic needs. Again, your local agent can be a huge help in this area.
3. You Can “See” Your Stuff in It
Can you “see’ your belongings in a house? Do you find yourself imagining the living room filled with your furniture, the master bedroom fitted out with your bed on the south wall? If so, that’s another sign that you may have found the right house.
Here’s what industry pros say about this as a sign of the right house in New Jersey: “You’re already hooked if you find yourself thinking that the living room window is a perfect spot to put a tree come Christmas. Or maybe you can already see yourself driving up the street, heading home after a hard day at work. There’s a neighbor across the street throwing a frisbee to a dog, and it occurs to you that they might be people you’d like to know.”
4. You’re Ready to Stop Looking and Brag About It
Also, are you ready to stop looking at more houses and wanting to brag about a specific one? Are you comparing all the other homes you view to this one? That’s another tell-tale sign.
This may be the right house in New Jersey “if you’re feeling excitement after your first tour of the place.” But this is highly subjective ground, and it’s easy for buyers to overlook major drawbacks in all the excitement. Your best course is to also listen to your agent.
5. The Neighborhood Is a Great Fit
Remember, too, that no matter how much a house seems like the right house in New Jersey, it really isn’t if the neighborhood isn’t a good fit. Experts always caution buyers that they aren’t just buying a home, but that they are also buying into a ne3ighborhood.
Before making an offer on a house, you should make certain you will be happy living in that neighborhood for several or many years. Certainly, you can check crime rates, home values, quality of the schools, and the like on your own. But if you really want a sound assessment of the neighborhood’s personality, you should talk to your local agent.
Bonus Tip: Your Agent Agrees
As we’ve mentioned and intimated several times, an experienced local real estate agent can be a valuable asset and ally in your search for the right home. An agent can provide that critical objective assessment that, many times, buyers are unable to make owing to the emotional appeal of a particular home. So if you really want to make sure you find the right house in New Jersey, contact us at 855-966-DEAL.