Tips for buying a home beyond the MLS. Buying a home is an exciting and nerve racking experience for anyone. No matter what the circumstances, whether building a life with someone or downsizing, there are things to consider beyond the MLS listing.
It is easy to identify your needs. For example, I need a three-bedroom two-bath home located in X neighborhood. You can identify these easily and then make some priorities based on those objectives. For example, I don’t want to live on a busy street or I want to be walking distance from a park. Those are concrete objectives that play a significant role in your selection. However, I would argue that there are subjective qualities that you as a consumer will be looking for that are not as obvious and found on the MLS. These are very significant and evoke an emotional connection to a place. In order to help you connect with these subjective qualities, I suggest you identify them before you begin your search. Ask yourself these important questions:
- What lifestyle do I identify with now? This is so important in selecting your new place. Depending upon where you are in life, your lifestyle will reflect what is of interest to you and what contributes to your quality of life. If you are newly weds, your lifestyle may be significantly different than a single mom of three boys like myself. Identifying your lifestyle will help you narrow a community or neighborhood that best suits you.
- What style do I most associate myself? Do you find yourself attached to modern spaces or more traditional spaces? This will help you narrow your focus on the type of space you are looking to live. However, keep in mind that some of this is cosmetic and you could change your place to reflect your personal style.
- Do I see myself in an urban, suburban or country environment? This may seem obvious but if you are now combining a household and your partner identifies with a different environment this may cause some strife. Therefore, discussing what makes you feel comfortable with your partner will help resolve points conflict before they come into play in your search.
- Do you live a very active life or prefer a quiet and low key life? If you associate yourself with a very active life, your desires are very different than a person who prefers a slower paced low-key life. Identifying where your see yourself overall will help you narrow down a particular location that feels best for you.
- Do you like alternative modes of transportation or do you prefer to drive? If you prefer walking or biking, you may want to be closer to work and amenities than if you prefer to drive. Therefore, a walkable community may be most attractive to you.
You may find that once you start this exercise, you will identify more subjective qualities that are important to you. Once you have identified them, make sure you have them readily available during your search. Further, if you are working with a realtor, make sure to share these with him or her at the beginning so he or she can be of best service to you.
