Top five things you need to do before moving into your forever home are:

1. think ahead

2. make a list of must haves

3. make a list of things you don’t want

4. check and manage credit score with a trusted mtg broker

5.  find a knowledgeable/trustworthy real estate agent.

When I write “think ahead”, I mean that even though we cannot predict what the future will hold,  we do know a few things for certain. For instance, living in a tree house with a rope ladder might sound like an amazing experience… but not so much at the age of 85. In our forever home, we built a rather large staircase.  Looking back now, I wish we had thought more about a one-level home seeing as how we planned to grow old here, and one day those stairs will be a burden. I have met many people looking for ranch homes for that very reason. Just identifying your wants and needs and how they may adjust with age will help you in finding your dream home.

I encourage all my clients to get a small notebook (one without lines) to sketch/write down what they must have in a home. What is most important to you? Then research the best ways to meet that particular need. Let’s say you like to work on motors; having a finished garage might be an important. If you are a water person, being on a lake may be important. Then get into the design of your home. Make it come alive on the page. This could be through a series of lists or little thumbnail drawings.  Drawing is not my medium, but if it looks like a three year old drew it (which it usually does) I know what I want and I can at least spell it out in words . If you are having trouble with inspiration, go on a tour of homes or take virtual tours online. Pinterest is a good source for inspiration. If you could have anything in the world what would it look like (roughly).

Making a list of what you don’t want is also important. If having water near your home makes you uncomfortable, then put that on the list. This is different than the must-have list because it can help you identify things that may cause future frustration. For example, I had a client who wanted to be on water (a must-have for him). Once shown several properties on the water at his price point, he noticed how close together the houses were. This client did not want close neighbors and we were able to find a lake in the country. I’m no neurologist, but it appears to work a different part of the brain when thinking want vs. don’t want.

Always check with your money manager before making any large purchase. A good money manager stays on top of market trends and can steer you in the right direction for locating the money you need to make your dreams come true. An experienced broker will focus on the reality of the situation and be straightforward with you. If you don’t have a money manager, your real estate agent can recommend mortgage brokers to you (in the state of Michigan  they are required to recommend at least two). A mortgage broker can help you find you credit score and what type of mortgage will work best for you. I always prefer to go local, but when making this big of a commitment, you will want to keep an eye on the interest rate and the fine print.

Find a trusted/knowledgeable real estate agent. I would recommend someone who can help you understand the home buying process on your terms. After you have written down what you’re looking for (must-haves and don’t-wants), continue to look for houses online and in person (with a licensed agent). Your agent will be searching their databases,  but the more you look, the more your ideas toward what you want will grow.

My wife and I still have the sketchbook we used to find our forever home. We still add to it as we continue to build our forever life together. Now we add lists of features we want to add to our house, or improvements we’d like to make.. Most recently, we added our finished basement design. We sometimes use graph paper to get a better scale but the drawing always ends up in our book.

Best wishes and happy dream-building!