If you're one of those who planned to buy your “dream home” early this year but decided to put it off for now due to various reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic, chances are, you’re still checking homes online.

And now that we’re spending more time inside following stay-at-home orders, we’re getting to know more about our current place. We’re seeing our homes in a new light—getting familiar with the features that work and don’t work for us and our families. 

So as you continue to window shop real estate, why not take this time to evaluate the features of your current home to better understand what you want in your next one? It might be difficult to find the perfect place right off the bat, but by having a list of your must-haves ready, it’ll be a huge advantage as you check for listings online. Your move might be delayed and you’re stuck where you are now because of the ongoing health crisis, but it’s a silver lining knowing there’s a perfect place for you out there.

To help you finalize your next home's wishlist, here’s a list of guide questions so you can make up your mind about what you really like and don’t like about your current home:

 

In general:

What's the one thing you like the most about your current home?

 

Due to quarantine, is there something you realized you hate about your place? How does it affect you?

 

If you could rate your home on a scale of 1–10, what would you rate it? Why?

 

Inside your home:

  • How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you really want? Does your home already have enough?

  • Do you have a new need that your current home couldn't accommodate? (e.g. a home office, mudroom, workout space, extra room for homeschooling the kids, etc.)

  • Do you have enough storage space?

  • Do you prefer to have more natural light, or is your place already well-lit?

  • Are you happy with your kitchen? Is it updated and spacious enough? Since dining out is not an option because of the virus, you’re probably cooking meals more often. The kitchen is the heart of the home after all, so its size and layout is also important.

  • Are you satisfied with the fixtures and finishes? 

 

Outside your home:

  • Is there an architectural style you prefer?

  • Do you have an outdoor space? If so, do you love spending time there, especially now that we have limited exposure outside?

  • Is there anything that needs to be improved in your home's curb appeal?

  • Do you enjoy taking care of the yard or is it already too much to handle?

  • Is your garage adequate?

  • What other features you don’t have right now would you love to have? (e.g. pool, firepit, etc.)

  • How about the home’s upkeep? How much time and effort does it take to maintain your current place? 

 

Your neighborhood:

  • Are you happy with your neighborhood? 

Have you also thought about how your neighborhood handled the pandemic? Was there community involvement? This health crisis is bringing out the best (and worst) in every one of us. Many would want to be in a neighborhood where people take care of each other, sharing necessities like meals, toilet paper, sanitizers, groceries, and others. Some neighborhoods are even putting back their Christmas lights as a distraction for kids and as a sign of hope in this particularly dark time. Don't only think about your dream home, but also the kind of community you’d want to be in.

  • How far do you have to travel for basic necessities, such as going to the grocery store or to the doctor for medical appointments? 

Also, think about the neighborhood walkability, nearby parks, gardens, facilities, and other activities.

  • Are you satisfied with your commute? 

Despite the pandemic forcing many of us to work from home instead of going to the office, accessibility to transit networks is still important when choosing your next neighborhood.


12 Reasons Why This is a Better Market for Buyers

I TALKED TO A LOT OF POTENTIAL BUYERS AND SELLERS EVERY DAY WITH WHAT I DO AND INEVITABLY A COUPLE OF TIMES A DAY I'M GONNA HAVE PEOPLE THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH JUST SAY, I'M GONNA WAIT TO BUY. I'M JUST GONNA WAIT AND YOU KNOW, IN MY HEAD, I'M THINKING, WAIT FOR WHAT YOU THINK, INTEREST RATES ARE GONNA GO BACK DOWN TO TWO OR 3%. I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA SEE THAT AGAIN IN OUR LIFETIMES. I REALLY DON'T UM I HOPE I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT. UM BUT I JUST, I DON'T SEE IT HAPPENING. WHERE THE PRICES AREN'T CRASHING DOWN. WE'RE STILL, IT'S STILL A SELLER'S MARKET, THERE'S STILL UM MUCH MORE DEMAND THAN THERE IS SUPPLY OF HOMES. AGAIN, I STARTED THINKING, I GO, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THE MARKET IS BETTER FOR BUYERS AS WE SIT HERE IN THE, YOU KNOW,THE LAST QUARTER OF 2022 VERSUS HOW THINGS WERE FOR YEARS ENDING IN WHEN THE MARKET SHIFTED RIGHT AROUND EASTER THIS YEAR. THAT'S WHEN THE MARKET CHANGED. SO I CAME UP WITH 12 PROS AND ONLY ONE CON. SO LET ME SHARE THOSE WITH YOU.

 

PRO NUMBER ONE IS A SELLER PAID CLOSING COSTS. THESE SELLERS WERE NOT PAYING ANYTHING UH FOR YEARS, IN MOST INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, THEY PAY THEIR, THEIR REAL ESTATE FEES, DOC STAMPS IN THE DEED, BUT YOU'RE BUYING, YOU KNOW, YOU AS THE BUYER WOULDN'T WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. WE'RE GETTING SELLERS TO PAY, CLOSING COSTS IN SOME INSTANCES NOW AS A NEGOTIATION POINT. SO THAT'S EXCITING. IT'S LESS OUT OF POCKET FOR THE BUYERS.

 

THE SECOND REASON IS SELLER PAID RATE BY DOWN. WHAT WE'RE DOING IN SOME INSTANCES IS RATHER THAN REDUCE THE PRICE, WE'RE TAKING THAT MONEY THAT YOU WOULD NEGOTIATE WITH THE SELLER AND HAVING THE SELLER BY YOUR RATE DOWN. SO I MEAN THAT'S EXCITING TO BUY IT DOWN. MAYBE, AS WE'RE SITTING HERE IN OCTOBER, THERE ARE 7%, YOU CAN BUY IT DOWN TO SIX, MAYBE EVEN FIVE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE PAST.
 

THE THIRD IS THE SELLER PAID TO ONE RATE BY DOWN. AND WHAT THAT IS IT'S A NEW, IT'S A NEW PROGRAM THAT A LOT OF LENDERS HAVE WHERE THE SELLER BUYS DOWN YOUR RATE AND IT'S 2% LESS THE FIRST YEAR. SO IF IT'S 7% YOU'D PAY 5% THE SECOND YEAR, IT'S 1% LESS. SO IF IT'S 7% YOU PAID SIX AND THE THIRD, YOU'D BE AT SEVEN IN THE THIRD AND BEYOND, YOU'D BE AT 7%. OKAY? BUT HERE'S THE DEAL WITH THAT THAT GETS YOU THAT GETS YOU ABLE TO AFFORD MORE HOUSE HERE IN THE SHORT TERM AND THERE'S GONNA BE OTHER,ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN IN THE IN THE FUTURE EITHER THE FIXED INTEREST RATES ARE GONNA COME DOWN SO YOU CAN REFINANCE OR THERE'S GONNA BE OTHER LENDING PRODUCTS THAT ARE GONNA COME OUT MAYBE ARMS UM LOOK THEM UP WITH OTHER SOLUTIONS TO,BECAUSE AFFORDABILITY IS AN ISSUE NOW WITH THE RATES GOING UP IN THE PRICE INCREASES IN RECENT YEARS. SO THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION FOR YOU ON THE TABLE.

THE FOURTH REASON WHY BUYING A HOME CAN BE BETTER HERE NOW AT THIS POINT IN 2022 THAN IN RECENT YEARS IS SELLER PAID REPAIRS. UM YOU KNOW, SELLERS DIDN’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING. IN FACT, THEY SOME OF THEM DIDN'T EVEN WANT BUYERS TO HAVE INSPECTIONS FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES. NOW THE SELLER IS THE SELLERS ARE GOING AHEAD AND MAKING YOU KNOW, REPAIRS ON THEIR PROPERTY BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON THE MARKET. THEY'RE REPLACING ROOFS, YOU KNOW, IF THEY NEED TO REPLACE ROOFS AND THERE'S ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT THE SELLERS ARE WILLING TO DO THAT THEY WERE RESISTANT TO DO IN RECENT YEARS JUST BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH DEMAND.

 

THE 5TH REASON IT'S BETTER TO BUY A HOME IS SELLER PAID IMPROVEMENTS. SELLERS ARE GOING AHEAD AND MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR HOME PRIOR TO PUTTING THEM ON THE MARKET WHERE UM YOU KNOW, WHEREAS BEFORE THERE WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU AS THE BUYER ARE GONNA BENEFIT FROM THAT BE THE ONE THAT WILL BENEFIT MOST FROM THAT.

 

THE SIX POINT OF WHY THIS IS A BETTER HOME FOR A BUYER TO BUY TO BUY MARKET IN RECENT YEARS IS PRICE NEGOTIATION. THERE WAS NO NEGOTIATION AND PRICE PREVIOUSLY IT WAS, HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PAY OVER LIST PRICE? TO TRY TO GET THE HOME RIGHT AS CRAZY AND PEOPLE ARE PAYING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE PAYING, YOU KNOW, $6100 OVER LIST PRICE. THEY WERE GIVING AWAY THEIR SEASON FOOTBALL TICKETS. I MEAN, MAD TRIPS, its MADNESS. OKAY, ALL THAT'S GONE. SO WE'VE GOT PRICE NEGOTIATION NOW, THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

 

THE 7TH REASON WHY THERE'S IT'S BETTER TO BUY A HOME HERE IN THIS MARKET THAN THE PREVIOUS MARKET IS YOU PAY LESS THAN ASKING PRICE. RIGHT? YOU FIND OUT IF THERE'S ANY OTHER COMPETING OFFERS, IF THEY'RE NOT, WE CAN NEGOTIATE A LITTLE BIT RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, THAT'S EXCITING, YOU GET A BETTER DEAL THAT WAY.

 

THE 8TH REASON WHY IT'S BETTER TO BUY A HOUSE IN THIS MARKET THAN THE PREVIOUS HOT MARKET. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIVE INSPECTIONS, OKAY, WAIVING INSPECTIONS IS A TEAR. IT WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA, BUT I MEAN, PEOPLE HAD TO DO IT TO GET A HOUSE RIGHT? UM YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS AS YOU WANTED TO BE BEFORE YOU BECOME THE OWNER OF THAT HOME AND UM, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'VE GOT TIME TO DO INSPECTIONS AGAIN AND JUST MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S THE SMART INVESTMENT FOR YOU. SO THAT'S BACK IN PLAY.

THE 9TH REASON WHY THE MARKET IS BETTER NOW FOR BUYERS THAN IT WAS IN THE RECENT HOT MARKET IS INSPECTION NEGOTIATIONS, OKAY. UM, EVERYTHING WAS AS IS BEFORE FOR THE MOST PART, OR VERY, VERY SMALL, REPAIR LIMITS THAT WERE PUT ON THE, PUT ON THE CONTRACTS AND UH, NOW YOU CAN GET STUFF FIXED. YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT EASIER. IT'S A LOT EASIER TO GET A FIXED SELLER, TAKE CARE OF IT BEFORE YOU MOVE IN AND THEN HAVE IT BE YOUR PROBLEM ONCE YOU BUY IT.

 

 

THE 10TH REASON WHY IT'S BETTER FOR BUYERS TO BUY NOW THAN IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS HOT MARKET IS YOU GOT TIME TO THINK IT OVER RIGHT SO MANY BUYERS JUST NEEDED A HOUSE, RIGHT? AND I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, YOU GOTTA, YOU GOTTA DECIDE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S IN, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES THE BUYERS WERE SETTLING FOR A LOT OF STUFF THEY REALLY DIDN'T WANT JUST BECAUSE THEY NEEDED A PLACE TO LIVE. SO YOU GOT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO THINK THINGS OVER AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS GONNA BE THE RIGHT MOVE FOR YOU.

 

 

THE 11TH REASON WHY IT'S BETTER TO BUY A HOME IN THIS MARKET THAN THE PREVIOUS HOT MARKET IS YOU CAN HAVE CONTINGENCY CON CLAUSES IN YOUR CONTRACT, YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT, I MEAN, PREVIOUSLY, IF YOU HAD A CONTINGENCY CLAUSE, WHY WOULD THE SELLER EXCEPT THAT WHEN THERE'S YOU KNOW 10 OTHER OFFERS OR 20 OTHER OFFERS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT? MAYBE GOT A HOME TO SELL. NOW YOU CAN FIND A HOUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL FIND A SELLER THAT'LL TAKE A CONTINGENCY ON THE SALE OF YOUR HOME AND YOU CAN TIME EVERYTHING BETTER THAT WAY AND YOU KNOW, HAVE A LOT LESS STRESS.

 

 

THE 12TH REASON WHY IT'S BETTER FOR BUYERS TODAY THAN IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS HOT MARKET IS YOU'VE GOT LONGER CONTRACT TO CLOSE IF YOU WANT IT RIGHT THERE, THEY'RE NOT PUSHING TOO CLOSE AND YOU KNOW, 20 OR 30 DAYS LIKE THEY WERE IN THE PREVIOUS MARKET. SO YOU'VE GOT LONGER TIMEFRAMES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE YOU'VE GOT A HOME TO SELL OR YOU KNOW, YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO MOVE FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, YOU NEGOTIATE IT OUT NOW.

AND OF COURSE, THE ONE CON OF BUYING TODAY AND IT'S A VERY SHORT LIST IS THAT INTEREST RATES ARE HIGHER, RIGHT? UM YES, THERE'S STILL HISTORICALLY LOW EVEN AT 7%, BUT IT'S A LOT HIGHER THAN THREE. AND UH WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, LIKE WE ALWAYS SAY UM MARRY THE HOUSE AND DATE THE RATE UM THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK DOWN. I MEAN THERE'S GONNA BE OTHER PRODUCTS THAT ARE GONNA SHOW UP. UM IT'S A LOT BETTER TO BUY AT 7% THAN IT IS IF IT GOES UP TO 10 OR 12 AND THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY SMART PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE SAYING IT'S GONNA GO UP TO 10 OR 12 BEFORE THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE. SO 7% ISN'T GONNA LOOK SO BAD WHEN THAT DAY COMES. SO AND AGAIN LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN ALWAYS REFINANCE LATER IF YOU WANTED TO. UM THERE'S GONNA BE ALL SORTS OF OTHER PRODUCTS THAT WILL COME OUT. BUT YOU KNOW AT LEAST YOU CAN GET THE HOME YOU WANT AND LIVE YOUR LIFE. AND WHEN THAT DAY COMES YOU'LL HAVE OTHER OPTIONS. IF I CAN HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING BUYING OR SELLING, JUST REACH OUT TO ME. YOU CAN IF YOU'RE SEEING THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, GO AHEAD AND DIRECT MESSAGE ME, I'LL BE THE ONE ANSWERING YOU SO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO IF YOU TALK TO ME I WILL BE THE ONE TALKING TO BACK, IT WON'T BE AN ASSISTANT, IT'LL BE ME. AND SO JUST KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING. IF HE COULD AND UM IF YOU PREFER YOU CAN CALL OR TEXT ME AT 85O-677-1630. YOU FOUND THIS HELPFUL GO AHEAD AND LIKE THIS, SHARE IT WITH ANYBODY THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW UM PUT IN THE COMMENTS WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS PROS AND CONS LIST. AND UM IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM YOU CAN FOLLOW ME @MEETSCOTTGREGORY, LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU SOON. TAKE CARE!

 

Schedule a call with Scott here: https://calendly.com/scottgregoryteam/consultation-with-scott-gregory?month=2022-05

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