You shouldn’t purchase a house unless you have done these three things.

Are you thinking about buying a house right now? You definitely should not buy a house until you do these three things:

1. Make a list of the non-negotiables you want in the house. There’s no such thing as the perfect house, so you want to have a list of your non-negotiables. When Lisa and I searched for our current house, we each made a list of ten, and then combined them into a single list of ten. That’s how we chose this house. We knew when we looked at it that it was exactly what we were looking for because we had a list.

“Make decisions based on logic, not emotion.”

2. Create a budget. How much do you want to spend? Take that information, go to a trusted loan officer mortgage company, and find out what the terms are for getting a mortgage.

3. Make a plan. What is it that you’re specifically looking for in the house, location, and price? I often see buyers making decisions based on emotions and not logic. If you have a list and a budget, then ask yourself if this is the house that you want to buy. Does it meet your criteria? Is this the location that you want to be in, and is this the price you want to pay?

When houses were bid $20,000 above asking price, that was based on emotion and not logic. There’s nothing wrong with paying more for a house as long as you’re making a logical decision. Lisa and I bought our house for $22,000 over asking price because it met all of our criteria.

If you have any questions or want help with the process, reach out to me by phone or email. I’d love to help you.