First-time Homebuyer

We have been looking for our first home to purchase. Currently we live in an area that we like but the homes are too expensive. We know that we might be able to buy a nice home in a newer area for less money, but these homes are too far from where we work and the amount of traffic is worrisome. With a new baby, I work from home most of the time, which is a really important consideration. In addition we prefer living near areas that offer interesting things to do and places to shop and eat. Please help us with our decision.

Buying Your First Home

During a recent conversation with a group of women, one of them asked how to figure out which area in Orange County might best fit here family’s needs and wishlist. A lender had pre-approved her for a loan of $1, 700,000. However, she preferred to look for a less expensive home.

In my response I offered these pointers:

Preapproval for a loan actually is a necessity. No seller will accept an offer from someone who is just “prequalified”.  So at the outset of her home search, she’s cleared that hurdle.

I asked where she and her husband work. Their best choices for a home would be located within reasonable commuting distance from work.

She does not have a family yet. Of course for several reasons that fact would make a difference in choices of where to by a home. A larger home closer to work might make the most sense looking forward.

With that in mind, I suggested looking at several really nice tract developments that have attracted lots of young families. Another consideration in favor of looking at these newer developments is that there’s a tight housing market. Most areas in Orange County have relatively few homes for sale.

With the help of 250+ Berkshire Hathaway agents in my office, many of whom have “Pocket listings” (properties for sale but not listed in the MLS), I would be able to help her to efficiently search both listed and unlisted choices of homes for sale.

http://www.bhhscalifornia.com/real-estate-agent/jeremy-burns/1335

lidoislander@yahoo.com

949-300-1549
  

Finding Just the Right House

There are many reasons for wanting or needing to downsize homes. For example, these grand looking homes with large windows, high ceilings, two-floor great rooms, and huge foyers often have resulted in inefficient - and expensive - heating and cooling and too much work for maintenance and day-to-day upkeep.  The understandable question for these and other home-owners is where to move that is not a smaller, older house that is, to say the least, disappointing by comparison with their current home?

The good news is that there are beautiful homes in ideal locations for people that, for whatever reasons, need to downsize. And that’s what I do best: tell you what your current home really is worth based on market value; show you choices of the right size homes depending on your budget and needs; and the right neighborhood locations. I don’t push my clients at all. But it’s important to understand that very few single-family homes are being built while demand for them remains strong and is growing with demographic changes.

Of course, everyone has there own strong personal desires with respect to home selling and buying: change or little change; stay in the same neighborhood or move on; garden or none; near work or schools or it really doesn’t matter; and so forth. No matter what the personal consideration, the right affordable house exists in approximately the right location. It’s just a matter of knowledgeable persistence to find it.

http://www.bhhscalifornia.com/real-estate-agent/jeremy-burns/1335

lidoislander@yahoo.com

949-300-1549

BIGGER Not Necessarily BETTER

Everywhere in Orange County, California and America single-family houses are getting BIGGER. Think back to the days when, according to the National Association of Home Builders, the average home size in the U.S. in 1950 was, believe it or not, less than 1000 square feet! Now it’s approaching 3000 square feet, thanks in no small part to houses at the higher end of the market, including  “McMansions”.

Not only are houses getting larger, everything inside them is getting bigger, too, from four or more bedrooms to furnishings and everything else that gives them a “wow” look including spacious foyers, huge staircases, three or four garages, gourmet kitchens, sun rooms, walk-in closets and enormous master bedroom suites, huge kitchens, media rooms and more. But I’m increasingly hearing from clients that “our house is too big” and “too much work to look after”.

http://www.bhhscalifornia.com/real-estate-agent/jeremy-burns/1335

lidoislander@yahoo.com

949-300-1549