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Marketing Your House
Let's Go Shopping!!!
Growing out of your current home? Ready to "buy up?" Or perhaps you're a
first time homebuyer? Generally speaking, spring and summer are the best
times to buy a new home. Bozeman is no exception to that rule.
With the winter fading, longer days and the grass turning green, many
homeowners list their homes for sale this time of year, providing more
choices for homebuyers. Our area statistics show that 29 percent of the
annual home sales take place during March, April and May; 33 percent of
the sales come in June, July and August. Think you may be ready to make
the move, but not sure where to start? Here's some helpful guidance.
The first thing you should do is to begin focusing on what you're
looking for in a home. You can start by establishing priorities in the
following three areas:
Location: Let's assume you are looking to move locally. How do you
decide what location is right for you. One of the first decisions is
whether you want to live within the city limits or in one of the many
rural developments. How long of commute time are you willing to accept?
Those who have moved from larger city chuckle at our concern over a
15-minute commute.
Rural developments tend to have larger lots and require individual wells
and septic systems. several of the more recent country subdivision rely
on community water and sewer. Other considerations should include fire
protection, year-round access, road/street maintenance and weed control.
Most areas have active a homeowners association, which charge annual
dues to provide snow removal, park maintenance, etc. Intown locations
can offer walking distance conveniences to many services, such as
neighborhood parks and convenient shopping. These are just a few
considerations that are important to many people when they choose a
community or neighborhood in which to live. Also, if you have school age
children, school district boundaries are important. Always check with
the schools for final confirmation.
Personal Taste: How large of a home do you need? What style of
architecture do you prefer? What type of lot do fits your lifestyle?
Depending on where you move to, you may have a choice of homes in dozens
of styles, sizes and settings. Spend some time to understand what you
want and need in a home before you go shopping. Look through magazines
for ideas about home styles and features. Drive through neighborhoods
and identify styles of homes that appeal to you. Talk to friends about
the features that you'd really like to have in your new home.
The more knowledgeable you become, the better your final decision is
likely to be. Then sit down and consider carefully all the things you're
looking for in a home. Make a new home "wish list" and prioritize what
is required in your new home vs. what "would be nice" to have.
Budget: How much home can you comfortably afford?
Affordability is probably the single biggest concern of today's home
buyers. The price tag of a new home may be so overwhelming, the new home
buyer may not even know where to begin. Fortunately, interest rates are
still very favorable and make it easier that ever to afford the home of
your dreams. Step back and take it one step at a time. Look at your
monthly expenses and payments. Determine what range of payment with
which you can be comfortable. Meet with your financial or real estate
professional to become prequalified for a home purchase. Once you are
prequalified and have considered your budget, you know how much
financing you can receive, how much down-payment will be required and
what monthly payments you can handle.
Your real estate professional can provide property tax and other
information on neighborhoods you're interested in and help you get into
a home that's in your price range.
Buying a new home is the most significant purchase a person will make.
By planning ahead and consulting a real estate professional, you can
find the right home, in the right neighborhood, at the right price.
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