You may have seen this before in my posting about creating a Needs and Wants list when you begin the home buying process. This is a very important step in determining and lining up your priorities in a new home. It’s essential to put in writing what you actually need and want in your property, so that you can focus on those aspects when you start to go out and look at homes in person.
I have scanned in a copy of one of my client’s list of priorities. This is a sheet I give all my buyers at the beginning of the home buying process–both first time buyers and repeat buyers. It helps them to figure out what their biggest concerns are and it keeps me on the same page as them.
As you can see from the picture (click on it to see a bigger image size) these buyers are not very worried about the school district they live in, lack of steps/handicap accessibility, age of the property, when they close on the house, commute time to work, or being near shopping and other amenities. On the flip side, they are clearly people who have a very well-defined budget. They are concerned with down payment and monthly payment amounts, how much they’ll have to bring to closing for prepaid items and closing costs, they want to live in a good safe neighborhood and want their utility costs to be affordable, along with a good floor plan, garage, yard space, and also make sure they do a very thorough home inspection before closing.
By having this list during the searching process, it’s much easier to cross off houses from your list and key in on others you see on the MLS. Using technology to our advantage, we can save a lot of time by weeding through the “so-so” houses with this priorities list, and only going on showings for the houses that meet their needs.
Thanks for this information on your buyer’s needs and wants list Steve. The Minnesota Real Estate Team works with a number of great buyers and sellers. I will certainly do my best here to spread the word so your client can find a great mls listing here in MN to purchase! Thanks again.