Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Some buyers are close -- so close -- but not quite in a position to be able to make an offer yet on a house. It might be a matter of a few weeks -- or a month or two -- before you are able to actually sign a contract. This might be because you are waiting for a new job to start, or to finish paying off your car, or any number of other reasons.
So -- if you're not able to make an offer on a house quite yet, should you still start looking at homes?
Yes and no.
YES - you should start looking at homes...
- Starting to look at homes will help to create a context for you to understand what is a reasonable price for houses that might interest you.
- You will also start to see how quickly homes that would interest you go under contract - thus letting you know how quickly you may need to act when you are ready to buy.
- You can also start to determine how readily available homes will be that match what you're looking for. Plenty of homes might seem interesting online but once you go inside them, are most really good options for you, or only a few. This will give you a sense of how easy it will be to find a good option for you to buy.
Understanding all of these things will help you be a better prepared buyer when you are actually ready to buy.
NO - you should not start looking at homes...
- You'll just get disappointed when home after home that you fall in love with goes under contract.
- If you're buying in an active price range, the chances are that any house you look at this week will not be available for purchase a month from now when you are ready to buy.
So - for most buyers, I recommend "yes, up to a point".
Let's start looking at homes that would be of interest if you were ready to sign a contract today. Let's build that context to allow you to understand your segment of the market. Let's get a sense of how often homes of interest will become available - and how quickly they go under contract. And then, after we have built somewhat of an understanding of the market, it will be your call as to whether to continue to look at homes that are not likely to actually be available for you to buy once you are able to do so.
So, in conclusion - even if you are a few weeks or a few months out from being ready and able to sign a contract to buy a home, it is not necessarily too early to start going to see some houses.
