inception-app-prod/OGU0MjQ4NjMtYzFmNC00NzQyLTljZmUtZjc3Y2YwZGJmNmFi/logo/2020/05/website-header-logo.png
Your Real Estate Resource!
  • Bast Real Estate
    • Who Are We
    • Meet The Team
    • What Our Clients Are Saying
  • Buyers
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Community Links
    • Homes For Sale By City
    • Our Featured Listings
    • Temecula Home Inventory $450k>
    • Meadowview Equestrian Community, Temecula
  • Sellers
    • Seller’s Guide
    • What’s My Home REALLY Worth?
    • Short Sales
  • Real Estate Resource
    • Blog
    • MVP
    • Real Estate Videos…To Keep You In The Know
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Our Preferred Vendors
    • Community Links
    • Your Southern California Referral Partner
  • Let’s Talk Real Estate – Contact
Jeff & Stephanie Bast
01291224 | 01878816
951.264.8360
951.264.8387
bastteam@bastrealestate.com
Sign In
Sign Up
inception-app-prod/OGU0MjQ4NjMtYzFmNC00NzQyLTljZmUtZjc3Y2YwZGJmNmFi/logo/2020/05/website-header-logo.png
Your Real Estate Resource!
  • Bast Real Estate
    • Who Are We
    • Meet The Team
    • What Our Clients Are Saying
  • Buyers
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Community Links
    • Homes For Sale By City
    • Our Featured Listings
    • Temecula Home Inventory $450k>
    • Meadowview Equestrian Community, Temecula
  • Sellers
    • Seller’s Guide
    • What’s My Home REALLY Worth?
    • Short Sales
  • Real Estate Resource
    • Blog
    • MVP
    • Real Estate Videos…To Keep You In The Know
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Our Preferred Vendors
    • Community Links
    • Your Southern California Referral Partner
  • Let’s Talk Real Estate – Contact
inception-app-prod/OGU0MjQ4NjMtYzFmNC00NzQyLTljZmUtZjc3Y2YwZGJmNmFi/logo/2020/05/website-header-logo.png
Your Real Estate Resource!
inception-app-prod/OGU0MjQ4NjMtYzFmNC00NzQyLTljZmUtZjc3Y2YwZGJmNmFi/content/2019/05/20190520-Share-KCM.jpg

Starting the Search for Your Dream Home? Here Are 5 Tips!

inception-app-prod/OGU0MjQ4NjMtYzFmNC00NzQyLTljZmUtZjc3Y2YwZGJmNmFi/content/2021/02/teampicjeffandsteph-4.jpg
Jeff & Stephanie Bast,05/23/2019
Starting the Search for Your Dream Home? Here Are 5 Tips! | MyKCM

In today’s real estate market, low inventory dominates the conversation in many areas of the country. It can often be frustrating to be a first-time homebuyer if you aren’t prepared.

In a realtor.com article entitled, “How to Find Your Dream Home—Without Losing Your Mind,” the author highlights some steps that first-time homebuyers can take to help carry their excitement of buying a home throughout the whole process.

1. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Before You Start Your Search

One way to show you are serious about buying your dream home is to get pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before starting your search. Even if you are in a market that is not as competitive, understanding your budget will give you the confidence of knowing whether or not your dream home is within your reach.

This step will also help you narrow your search based on your budget and won’t leave you disappointed if the home you tour, and love, ends up being outside your budget!

2. Know the Difference Between Your ‘Must-Haves’ and ‘Would-Like-To-Haves’

Do you really need that farmhouse sink in the kitchen to be happy with your home choice? Would a two-car garage be a convenience or a necessity? Could the ‘man cave’ of your dreams be a future renovation project instead of a make-or-break right now?

Before you start your search, list all the features of a home you would like and then qualify them as ‘must-haves’, ‘should-haves’, or ‘absolute-wish list’ items. This will help keep you focused on what’s most important.

3. Research and Choose a Neighborhood You Want to Live In

Every neighborhood has its own charm. Before you commit to a home based solely on the house itself, the article suggests test-driving the area. Make sure that the area meets your needs for “amenities, commute, school district, etc. and then spend a weekend exploring before you commit.”

4. Pick a House Style You Love and Stick to It

Evaluate your family’s needs and settle on a style of home that would best serve those needs. Just because you’ve narrowed your search to a zip code, doesn’t mean that you need to tour every listing in that zip code.

An example from the article says, “if you have several younger kids and don’t want your bedroom on a different level, steer clear of Cape Cod–style homes, which typically feature two or more bedrooms on the upper level and the master on the main.”

5. Document Your Home Visits

Once you start touring homes, the features of each individual home will start to blur together. The article suggests keeping your camera handy to document what you love and don’t love about each property you visit.

Making notes on the listing sheet as you tour the property will also help you remember what the photos mean, or what you were feeling while touring the home.

Bottom Line

In a high-paced, competitive environment, any advantage you can give yourself will help you on your path to buying your dream home.

Print Details
Previous post
Next post
4 Tips for Making a Competitive Offer
Top Days to List Your Home for Sale [INFOGRAPHIC]

Search listings

Enter city, zip, neighborhood, address…
Loading in progress…
No results found
Type in anything you’re looking for
Search

Let's Talk Real Estate..

Tell us how we can serve you better today. Are you thinking of selling/purchasing a home or just curious?
SEND
Submitting
Oops! Error occurred.

Office

Bast Real Estate Sales & Consulting @ KW
27290 Madison Av Ste 200Temecula
CA 92590 | DRE Lic# 01411306
951.264.8360
951.264.8387
bastteam@bastrealestate.com

About us

  • Bast Real Estate
  • Who Are We
  • Buyers
  • Sellers
  • Blog
  • Let’s Talk Real Estate – Contact
  • MVP
  • Real Estate Resource

Consumer Protection & Privacy

  • Accessibility
  • DMCA Compliance
For ADA assistance, please email compliance@placester.com. If you experience difficulty in accessing any part of this website, email us, and we will work with you to provide the information.
inception-app-prod/OGU0MjQ4NjMtYzFmNC00NzQyLTljZmUtZjc3Y2YwZGJmNmFi/logo/2020/05/website-header-logo.png

© 2021 All rights reserved

Created with Placester

Sign in

Sign In
Forgot your password?
Create an account
You have been successfully logged in
The page will reload automatically.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Login or password are incorrect. Please try again.
Try again

Sign Up

Sign Up
Already a User? Sign In
You have been successfully registered
Please check your email.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Please try again.
Try again

Reset password

Reset password
Return to Log In
Reset password email has been sent.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Please try again.
Try again

Change password

Change password
Sign Up
Your password has been successfully reseted.
Go to the homepage
Sorry something went wrong
Please try again.
Try again
Send
Success! Your message was sent!
Back to homepage
Oops! Error occurred.
Please try again.
Back to form
Already a User? Sign In

Account verification in progress

Account Verified!
You may now log in into your account
Go to the homepage
Error
Please try again.
Go to the homepage

Share this listing

Copy Link