House hunting has become a contact sport over the past year. The idealized vision
of a leisurely Saturday morning reviewing open houses in the Twin Cities or surrounding areas and plotting the day’s tours over coffee lattes is a thing of the past. While popping into the local open house might be fun for the casual looker, if you are serious about finding your next home, this climate demands strategy.
First and most importantly, know exactly what you need and want in a new home.
Then share this vision in details with your real estate agent. Identify not only what you need in condo or home, but which locations would best fit your lifestyle. For example, you’re looking to live near biking and/or walking trails, you might want to research locations with parks, etc.. With lower inventory from which to choose, you also need to be clear about any compromises you are willing to make—if any.
Once you know what you’re looking for, the next step is to clear some time during
the week for house hunting. That’s right, possibly sometime in the mid-week?
Strategy is critical in a seller’s market. Serious buyers need to prioritize their
search to position themselves ahead of their competition. Being available to see
new listings as soon as possible is one way to ensure you don’t lose out on an
opportunity to write an offer on the right home.
