I recently spoke to a young couple who had been considering buying a home for over a year.  They were paying high rent -typical in Athens, a university town - where rents are often higher than a house payment, had decent jobs and were considering starting a family soon. 

They had actually looked at houses last summer, but were traumatized!  The process just felt overwhelming, so they quit looking and signed a new lease which is going to expire in a few months.  They called because they decided to "bite the bullet" and try again.  So we are putting together a plan of action to help take some of the trauma/drama out of buying their first home.

• Find a REALTOR®  you can be comfortable working with - disclosing all manner of traditionally private and personal information can be uncomfortable - it's critical that your representative in the transaction knows enough about your personal and financial life to be of assistance to you!  Home buying is not only a big financial commitment, but also an emotional one. This couple had felt pressured to by more home than they really felt comfortable with!  Do you really want to live on dried beans and macaroni for the next 30 years?
• Don't wait to get a loan. Talk to a mortgage lender and get prequalified for a mortgage before you start looking!  Again it's really important to choose someone you are comfortable working with!
• Remember, there's no "right" time to buy, any more than there's a right time to sell. If you find a home now, don't try to second-guess the interest rates or the housing market by waiting. Early this week rates were great, but the market has moved.  some people predict rates will drop again after the first of the year, but there is no good way to "time" the market!  The difference in rates this week equates to the cost of a few expensive coffees a month - don't let that make you miss the perfect home!
• Don't ask for too many opinions! It's natural to want reassurance for such a big decision, but too many ideas will make it much harder to make a decision.  This couple passed on a pretty good deal that met most of their needs and wants because a family member criticized purely cosmetic issues in a home that would have been easily changed!
• Choose a home first because you love it; then think about appreciation. While homes in the Athens Georgia real estate market have historically appreciated, a home's most important role is as a place to build your life and memories! 

So here are the top five steps to the plan or part one.  Next week I'll publish the next 5, so come back by or give me a call at 706-207-2502 for your personalized plan of enjoyable house buying, I can help you take the "puzzle" out of buying a home!