The excitement is building, the time is almost here as the “big dance” is on the horizon. Its been a hard road looking at so many homes, and having so many choices, but it’s time to make a decision.  Choosing that perfect home is not easy, but ask yourself the following “Final Four” : 

Does the home fit your and/or your families’ needs?  When you started your home search, you decided that there were certain features that your home should have, whether its a three car garage,  a large media room or a sound proof  playroom for the kids, you want to be sure that it meets those expectations.

Will you and your family be happy here?  Happiness is what everyone desires when moving into a new area and new home.  Mom needs to love the kitchen if she spends time there, dad may need a workshop to relieve the daily stress of his job, the children want a large yard to entertain all of their friends, schools are important to parents and a community pool is necessary for summer enjoyment. 

 Is it within your price range?  Staying within a financial housing budget is vital to the decision making process.  As a homeowner, you do not want to struggle to make the monthly house payment, and not be able to perform routine maintenance items or repairs as necessary.

Does it have adequate resale potential and appreciation?  Property appreciation can relate to market conditions, or location.  A home in an area that is desireable to future buyers and that will appreciate ,with at least the average rate, will be considered a smart buy.  And, if the home has expansion possibilities, the resale value should be good in any market.

When your analyzation is complete, and you are able to answer these questions with satisfaction, then you can feel secure with your decision.  You are ready to complete your journey and accept the trophy-your new home!

With the current inventory of houses on the market in the Lynchburg area, its very easy to spend days, weeks and even months looking for that special home!  A buyer will start with their list of homes they want to see, then added into the mix are the homes that the agent feels meets their needs, then each day as a new property comes onto the market, it becomes a must see.  Many homes to see, many thoughts racing through a buyer’s head!

As the desire to move forward starts to take hold, the buyer decides to make an offer on their first choice of home.  With most all areas experiencing buyer’s market, the pressure is on the buyer to “make a good deal”, therefore, they feel compelled to start with a low offer.  As the market has started to stablized slightly, and as luck would have it, the chosen home draws multiple offers at the same time.  The buyer looses their first choice as the seller chooses a higher offer. 

This pattern can repeat itself with a buyer loosing multiple homes that meet their needs and placing that buyer in a stressful situation.  Is it necessary?  Not if the buyer finds the perfect home and feels that it meets the needs of their family, then it may not be worth the risk of loosing the home for a “deal”. The value of  a warm, inviting place for a family to be comfortable can overtake the need to get a bargain.  House values are determined by what someone is willing to pay, and the value that you place on the home determines a good sales price. Don’t go 0 and 10 in your house hunting-get your first choice!