Shooping for a Home: It Should Be Fun!

Shopping for a Home: It Should Be Fun!

New homes, old homes, big homes, small homes – they're all waiting for you to come take a look. It’s tempting to think of shopping for a home as a huge, time-consuming and potentially terrifying process – mostly because it is. Will you find the perfect house? Will you be able to afford it? Will you lose out on your dream house at the last minute to a higher bidder? But it’s also the ultimate shopping trip, with you browsing through all kinds of houses in all kinds of neighborhoods – one of which you will eventually call home. How cool is that? Consider Tami Winbury at Keller Williams Realty to be your adventure guide – or personal shopper, depending on how you see the home-shopping process. “I want to eleveate my clients stress, particularly first-time buyers. I do this through conversation and explanation while we view great homes and I discover their needs, ” says Tami Winbury . “I let them know I’m excited to be part of this with them.” Some buyers really enjoy getting out and exploring different neighborhoods throughout their city when they’re shopping for a home, taking each for a little test-drive to see how it feels. Some get a kick out of comparing new homes with remodeled homes and fixer-uppers. Others might just focus on new homes in various developments, trying to decide where they can get the most for their money. Historic homes in different neighborhoods are appealing to other home shoppers. But the real fun begins when I see their body language shift and they know they have found their new home. “I see their eyes glaze over and they begin decorating and visualizing how they're life style will fit into the new house. So often buyers express a warm memory that connects them to the house, says Tami” The next thing they know, they’re starting to talk about putting the TV here and their couch there and their book collection in that spot, she says. They notice the kitchen is open to the living room where they see the children playing legos while tey are cooking dinner. Basically, they begin to visualize themselves living there, Tami says. It’s a magical moment. Some buyers even find the home inspection a fun mystery game. They gleefully follow the inspector as he makes his rounds through the house, she says, soaking up everything they can learn about their soon-to-be home and ways to take care of it and its mechanical systems. It is a detectives game trying to figure out how past owners used the space. And then comes that big final step – closing. After all the fun of shopping for a home, finding one, making offers and counteroffers and reaching a deal, you get to sit down and agree to pay a great deal of money to actually live in the home of your dreams. Of course buyers need to get through the process of negotiations, escrow and paperwork. “But once it’s done and they see the keys,the home search is over and their new life begins." With Tami Winbury as your tour guide you can expect a pleasant journey. Tami Winbury Keller Wililams Realty 805-798-3412 http://www.keller-williams-homes.com