'Gonna find out who’s naughty and nice… Santa Claus is coming to town. La la la la la, la la la lah!
This little cutie was ready with her Christmas wish-list for Santa when I snapped this photo at Annapolis Mall last year.
Will you be ready with a wish-list for buying a home in the Crofton area when we get together in 2010?
Before our first appointment, I suggest you do a little daydreaming and write down every feature and quality you want in a home (as if price were no object). Then start at the top and identify the must-have (or required) items by highlighting them or marking them with a check-mark or star. I call this your “wants and needs” list.
For example, you may want 4 bedrooms, but could live with 3 if everything else about the home is perfect. Or you want a fenced yard but you’re willing to install a fence yourself if you like everything else about the home. In these examples, bedroom #4 and fenced yard are wants, not needs. Knowing both your wants and needs will help me find homes to show you and help you verify that the home you fall in love with meets all of your needs (required features and qualities).
Why not start by looking around your current home and identifying the things you like about it. Now ask yourself what would make it better… If it were bigger? Sunnier? Had a fireplace? On a day like today, I'll bet you're wishing for a garage so you don't have to shovel out your car after the next big snowstorm!
Remember to include practical items on your wish-list, as well - the amount of desired monthly payment, how much cash you want to invest, moving date, or special incentives. The tax credit extension and expansion would be a good example because it creates a deadline for you to enter into a contract and settle.
Remember, making a list and checking it twice is not just for children at Christmas time… it’s also for you when you’re ready to buy a Crofton area home. It will help you stay on track and help me help you!
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
For answers to your real estate questions about Bowie, Crofton, Davidsonville, Fort Meade, Gambrills, Odenton and other communities in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, contact Margaret Woda at Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. or simply click on a button below for information you can review online at your own pace:
