Every Real Estate professional I know likes to have fun, and likes to provide their clients an enjoyable buying or selling experience.  Some are better at having fun than others.

Every home buyer likes to have fun too.  They want to have fun and have an enjoyable home buying experience also.  Just like Realtors, some are better at having fun than others.

You don’t buy a new home every day, so why not make the most of the experience?  Here are a few tips:

1)     Focus on your new home as HOME!  Don’t stress on investment potential.  The very lifestyle factors that attract you to the home will attract others.  Your home will not be a “get-rich-quick” tool, but will lead to a more secure financial future.  Even with zero appreciation, you will have something to sell when it is paid for.  Try that with an apartment!  Even in today’s economic climate, homes in Greater Nashville have averaged 3.5% appreciation over the past 10 years.

2)     Explore the basics of home mortgages.  Know your financial capabilities before you shop and have a source for your required down-payment.  In Tennessee, first-time buyers may be eligible for their down-payment to be paid by THDA’s Great Start program.  Visit www.THDA.org for more information.

3)     Explore different areas close to, and further from work.  You may actually find your best quality of life in an area you have never thought of!  There are more ways to find information now than ever.  Use them!  It doesn’t cost anything to look.

4)     When choosing a Realtor or a home builder, find one that you personally like and can develop a relationship with.  After all, it is your money…you might as well have fun spending it!

5)     Contrary to popular belief, there is a perfect home at the perfect time.  When you find a home you like, that meets all of your needs, is within your budget, and gives you a warm feeling inside…that is the one.  No two homes are exactly alike, so questioning your emotions may actually cause you to miss out. 

6)     Too many cooks…. well you know the saying!   It never hurts to get advice from people you like and trust, but the more people you consult, the more opinions you will get, which most likely will add confusion.  Trust yourself first.  Others later.

At Ole South, we’ve made homebuying fun for over 25 years.  We take stress out of the equation and allow you to focus on what is most important to you…your new home.  Visit any of our Middle Tennessee locations today.  We’ll even give you a little yellow stress ball for starters!   Give me a call when you are ready to explore.

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, www.OleSouth.com, 615.896.0019  direct 615.593.6340.  Specializing in new home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.