A hint… if you’ve seen 30 properties, and you can’t picture yourself living in any one of them, it’s not that there’s something wrong with all of the properties on the market, it’s that your search criteria is unrealistic.
If you get to this point, it’s time to reevaluate your search, and ask yourself “Do I really want to own a home?” Some people are commitment phobic, and aren’t really ready to commit to buying a home. There’s nothing wrong with that. Keep renting. Renting is OK. Owning a home is not for everyone.
But if you find that you do have the desire to own a home, but you’re just not finding the right home in your budget, you will be faced with two choices:
- Reevaluate your standards – you may have champagne taste and a beer budget.
- Keep renting temporarily, and SAVE until you CAN buy the home that’s right for you.
Your REALTOR® will be able to tell you from the beginning whether your goals match your budget. In fact, that’s one of the first things I do when I meet a buyer for the first time.Â
I’ve had to be the “bad guy” on many occasions and have told potential buyers that their goals are unrealistic, or at times, that their financial situation is too risky to stretch to buy as much as they’ve been approved for.
If I’m your REALTOR®, I want to help you buy a home that you like AND that you can afford.Â
The reality is that in San Francisco the first home you own will never be as nice as your last rental.Â
In SF, it’ll cost you less to rent a home than it will to pay the mortgage on the same home.Â
That’s why many people rent and continue to do so – because they can’t afford to purchase. (Of course, there are other reasons not to purchase a home, but that’s a different topic altogether.)Â
If you have homeownership goals but don’t know if they are realistic, contact me. I can let you know if you need to adjust your goals, your budget or both – and I can do this BEFORE you set out house hunting so that you don’t waste your time chasing a pipe dream.Â
