Almost every buyer is looking for their ‘perfect’ home. Every buyer and every property are unique, which can make finding the perfect fit for you a bit of a science. Whether you’re looking for a vacation home at the lake or a primary home in one of our beautiful small towns, we’re here to help you make sure you find that perfect property!
Decide What Makes a Property Perfect
The first step to finding your perfect home is deciding what you need and what you want. Your ‘need’ list will consist of qualities the home must already possess to make it right for you and your family. The home’s layout, number of bedrooms, number of baths, the slope of the lot, and privacy are all great places to start narrowing down your list of potential homes. Your ‘want’ list will generally consist of things you’d like to have, but could do without or make happen later. Updated appliances, cosmetic changes like paint and landscaping, and distance to and from attractions and amenities are often things that buyers are looking for, but might not necessarily be a deal breaker if the property and price are right.
Having an experienced agent can really help you refine your list and help you really see all potential advantages and disadvantages of a property. It can be easy to forget about your need and want list when touring homes. Your agent can help you stay on track and make sure you’re looking at the property in its entirety and making sure it’s fitting all of your criteria. They also work with buyers and sellers every day! They have the experience to know what other clients and customers have said about certain home features or issues you may not have considered.
Know Your Price Range
Regardless of what type of property you’re looking for, having a price range is essential. Your agent can help you find local lenders that are familiar with your particular type of purchasing method, whether it’s a jumbo loan or FHA loan or anything in between. Even if you already have a price range in mind, meeting with a lender and getting pre-approved can help you make the strongest offer when it’s time to write a contact. It will also provide you and your agent with a realistic price range when browsing property.
Some other things to consider when figuring out your price range is determining whether you have extra room in your budget for HOA fees, upkeep and maintenance fees, yearly costs, and taxes. Renting your home through a vacation rental company can help offset some of these costs. Your agent can get you information on taxes and HOA fees for any properties you’re interested in so that you can factor in total costs of each property. They can also provide you with rental history or rental projections.
Work with Area Experts
The Deep Creek Lake and Garrett County real estate markets are unique in almost every way. Our markets tend to follow slightly different trends than other markets and national averages. Working with an agent that’s very familiar with the area and market you’re interested in is crucial. They can help trim down your list of potential homes and properties based on your wants and needs. Every property is presented in its best light, and it can be hard to determine based on the listing or online presentation whether or not that home will really work for you. Our agents work in the industry every day and are very familiar with the current inventory.
Your agent can also help you find other local experts for all of your current or future needs. From lenders to home inspectors to contractors, your agent can provide you with a list of licensed and reputable area experts to help make your buying experience as painless as possible. Financing a second home or finding insurance for a vacation rental home are things that our area service providers handle every day!
Location, Location, Location!
You can change almost every aspect of a home: except the location. While not every buyer has a specific location in mind, most do. When searching on Zillow or other third party sites, it can be very confusing to keep track of the property’s location in relation to other area amenities. Discussing your plans for your property and want you have on your need and want lists can help them narrow down properties for you. Your agent will have the experience to know which Lakefront locations generally yield the highest rental incomes, which communities are private but nearby to lake amenities, or give you a realistic time frame to go to and from your home to shopping areas, schools, and major roadways.
Many second homebuyers have previously rented at Deep Creek Lake and generally have an idea of where they’d like to be on the lake. If you’re not very familiar with the area, your agent can give you a list of routes and roads to travel to scope out potential properties and locations on your own time so you can see firsthand whether or not that location will work for you.
Buy for the Future
Thinking ahead to the future can help ensure that you’re purchasing the perfect property for now and later. Things like a main-level master suite or level lot may not be of concern now, but can be a much needed amenity for older relatives or even yourself later in life. Having a fairly good idea of what you’ll be using the property for will also help you decide if it’s the right home for you. If you think there’s a possibly of renting your home, you’ll want to buy in a good location and make sure your home can easily be converted to a vacation rental. Your agent can help you work through any possible future scenarios to make sure what you’re purchasing will work.
It’s also important not to be distracted by anything superficial. Things like paint colors and flooring can be easily changed. At the end of the day, your dream home is what you choose to make it. Putting your personal touches on the house and improving or changing certain things will help it fit your needs better and potentially add more value when it comes to selling your property later on.
Ready to get started? Fill out a contact form online or call us at the office 7 days a week to talk to an agent and get started on your home buying experience! You can also browse properties by location here.
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