How Do You Find a Home That Fits Your Family’s Lifestyle?

Finding the “perfect” home is a very individualized process.  We each have our own needs and wants, and a home that’s perfect for one buyer may not be suitable for another buyer.  Here are some of the lifestyle choices that I have encountered in representing buyers.

¨   Older buyers prefer homes with few if any stairs. Today’s MLS system allows agents to search for main-floor master bedrooms, not just ranch-style homes. The “perfect” home might just be a 2-story home with a main-floor master. 

¨   If you have a particular school you want your child to attend, searches can be set up for homes in that school’s service area.

¨   Allergic to smoke or pet dander? Both “Pet-free” and “Smoke-free” are searchable fields for us on the MLS.

¨  Do you want to be near relatives or work?  We can search for homes that are within a defined radius of a particular address. 

¨  Perhaps you like bicycling and want a home with an oversized garage for your bikes and that is close to trails.  No problem!

¨  The most affordable way to “go solar” is to buy a home with solar already installed.  We can search for homes with solar PV systems or solar thermal systems.

¨  Do you like to do home improvement?  Agents can send you listings of “fixer uppers.” 

¨ Do you want to walk everywhere possible instead of depending on your car?  We can search by walkability, using walk scores.

¨ Do you want to avoid bidding wars when you buy a home?  I recommend searching for homes with “days on market” over 10 days.  If a home has been on the market that long, it’s less likely you’ll be competing with other buyers — and more likely your offer will be accepted. 

¨    Are you tired of mowing lawns and doing outdoor chores such as weeding and pruning?  We can search for homes where the HOA provides that service. 

¨  Do you like to swim? We can search for homes with their own pools, and/or we can search for homes where one of the HOA amenities is a swimming pool. Ditto for fitness centers.

¨  Are you over 55 and want to live in a neighborhood with no children?  We can search for 55+ communities.

¨  Do you have horses, or do you want to have horses? We can search for horse properties.  We can also search for homes with a minimum (or maximum) size acreage.

¨  I had a buyer recently who wanted a home with a studio for music.  I set up a search for homes where the public remarks contained the word “studio” and found her two listings right away!  We can search for any word or phrase.

 

All these lifestyle searches have one thing in common — they can’t be done by buyers, only by agents with MLS access.  Any agent at Golden Real Estate can set up special searches for you and send you listings which match your needs and wants.  Call us at 303-302-3636.

Published July 7, 2016, in the YourHub section of the Denver Post and in four Jefferson County weekly newspapers.