About Columbia's Forest Acres

One of the first things I advise potential home buyers to do when searching for a home is to speak with a lender. This will help someone searching for a future home know where they need to start looking and what they can expect to get within their price range. If you're a first time home buyer, then chances are you will learn a lot from your talk with the lender.

The next thing that I advise buyers on, is that just because you can be approved for a certain amount, doesn't mean you should spend that amount. In fact, you should never buy at the top of your range.

It's very easy to get excited about the search for a new home, and I consider myself lucky to be in a career that affords me the right to see people experience that excitement. However, sometimes you to think rationally and your price range is the first place you can start that process. If you can be approved for $200,000, then you should think seriously about looking at homes in a lower price range and see what you come up with.

Who knows, you may find a home that works just fine and costs $20,000 to $30,000 less than your top range. When you buy at the very top of your price range, you run the risk of being what people call house poor. That means you can afford your house, but not much else. So, what if your car breaks down or you have an emergency? It's always best to give yourself a little cushion in case you need it. You may never have a problem, but it's better to have it and not need it, than it is to need it and not have it.

www.jlboney.com

The five W's are still important in making decisions. They simplify the process and make a direct connection to what you need and want to accomplish and how you want to do so. It may not be the most advanced way to think things over in this world of technology, but it still works. Let's say for example that you are planning on buying a new home, then pull out a pen and paper and sit down. Then think of the five W's

1- Who will be living in the home. Sit there and think about what you really need out of a home. Most people would love to have that huge home with the extra bedrooms and a bonus, but what do you really need? The amount of people that will reside in the abode will give you a great idea of how much space you really need. You may be able to afford more, but anything you don't truly need is just an extra that you want.

2- What will you be looking for in a home. This gives you an excellent chance to write out your needs vs. your wants. You can write out exactly what you would like in a home. Try to keep it realistic for your price range and make a list what you really need in a home and what you want. From there you will have a great starting point on what to start looking for and everything that you can get that you want in a home after you secure what you need is a nice added bonus.

3- When do you plan to buy. This is important to seriously look at so you can determine the amount of effort you should put into your search and how motivated you should be in the process. If you are relocating in the next two months, then you really need to get on the ball and go to work. If you are moving up and just waiting for a really great home to hit the market that has everything you want, then you obviously have time to kick back. Either way, you need to decide for yourself how soon you would like to be in a new place.

4- Where would you like to live. No matter where you are in the world, there are communities that you just like a lot. If not a particular community, then a particular side of town. It could be for any number of reasons like schools, jobs, or just the feeling of the area. Some like to live in town and some like the burbs. In order to really narrow the scope and find what you want, it's a good idea to at least focus on the part of town in which you wish to reside.

5- Why am I buying a new home. This will help you and your Realtor in the process of finding your new digs. If you are a first time home buyer there may be programs available such as the $8,000 tax credit. If you are in the military and relocating, there are incentives available for this as well. Even if you're just moving because you feel like and there is nothing more to it than that, it's good to isolate the purpose of your decision.

These are very simple steps that anyone can do with a pad and pen. Just some of the basic first steps to help out in your process of finding a new home. Oh, and for the sake of the lenders out there, you may want to answer one more important question that will way heavily on their minds. How do I plan to pay for it!

www.jlboney.com

Did you ever notice that those three words seem to be so difficult for most people to say? Well, like it or not, if you live long enough in this lifetime you will be wrong. In all honesty you will be wrong a lot. You will be misinformed, mislead, and sometimes you will just forget or become confused when attempting to answer a question.

You will misinterpret information and you will mislead people. I'm not saying that you will think that you are wrong from the start and I am not talking about you intentionally misleading anyone you encounter. I'm simply talking about the fact that from time to time, you will be wrong. You had better learn to accept that fact and make a decisive decision on exactly how you will handle the situation.

Can you stand your ground, take it on the chin, and admit when you are wrong? It takes a brave and honest person to admit when they are wrong, and I can promise you that no one really likes to do it. We all want to be right all the time, it just doesn't work that way guys. But you have to straighten things out when you are wrong, because it's a sign of strong character. If you're in real estate, it's also part of your job. You are here to guide, advise, educate, and protect. Allowing people to wander through a transaction misinformed will ultimately lead to trouble and a lack of trust when they learn the truth that you didn't tell them.

So, my advice to you is to learn to admit that you're wrong when you're wrong. Learn how to swallow that bitter pill and get over it. When there's a cloud looming over a situation, it's hard to move forward. So get it out of the way and be done with it. Not everyone will be happy at first with your admittance, but they will respect your honesty. And in the end, your integrity and respect is worth difficult task of uttering those three painful words. "I was wrong."

www.jlboney.com