You’ve been thinking about buying a house for some time now. But, though it can be the best thing in your life, and a dream come true, it can be very stressful and emotional. But if you allow your emotions to get the best of you, you might make a mistake. So, even though you’re probably already thinking about where to go first when you come to New York, it would be best to focus on this. After all, it will probably be one of the biggest decisions in your life. That’s why we made you this Yonkers house hunting guide. To get you through every step of the process and to help you find your dream house.
Be patient
When it comes to house hunting, at least in the beginning, everybody is like that Queen’s song – I want it all and I want it now. And that’s perfectly normal. We’re all impatient when it comes to buying something new. But don’t pressure yourself into buying something that you’re not too sure about. Studies show that people spend about 10 weeks searching on average and view at least nine homes before finding the right one. This is one of the reasons we made this Yonkers house hunting guide. So you don’t get a panic attack after two days of searching. You’ll get there. And when you do, you’ll want to contact Tik Tok Moving and Storage NYC to get any help you need.
So why Yonkers?
Yonkers, or as some call it, a ”sixth hood” of New York, is located on a Hudson River. Yonkers is home to about 195,000 residents making it the biggest city in the county of Westchester. With its close proximity to New York City, Yonkers is a great place for those who want to escape the congestion of the city yet still be able to commute there conveniently if need be. Also, Yonkers has 38 distinct neighborhoods offering single-family, multi-family, cooperative apartments, and condominium housing opportunities at all different price points, starting from $125,000 and all the way up to $3,000,000.
Yonkers house hunting guide
Though there are a lot of pros and cons when it comes to living in New York, we’ll try to focus on the pros, and on your house hunt. Our aim is to help you find a home that you’ll love and at a reasonable price as well. So let’s look into our house hunting guide, and get you all set up for the hunt!
Know what you can afford
It’s easy to fall in love with a house at the first sight and to start planning your new life there. You start daydreaming about how you’ll spend your time in that spacious kitchen, you even found professionals in handling a large instrument to move your piano to that spare room. And then you realize that there’s an extra zero on the house price. A zero that you can’t afford. So, to avoid these types of situations, and hurting yourself (nothing like killing the dream) you should restrict yourself to houses that you can afford. Talk to someone professional to help you know what your budget really is. And that’s the next thing in our guide.
Get a mortgage preapproval
As we already said, you need to know your budget before going on house hunting in Yonkers. Make an appointment with a loan officer and review your credit files. Based on this information, the lender will give you an approval letter that shows your borrowing power. Though not the final loan commitment, you can still show it when bidding on a home.
Find a real estate agent
One of the most important things. This person will be your genie in a bottle. Well, not exactly, but close enough. This person gives you insight into a multiple listing service. And not just that! They know the community probably better than anyone, and they are also familiar with the things such as financing, marketing, and prices. Also, they are in charge of all the paperwork once you close the deal on your dream house. Helpful, isn’t it?
Choose the best part of the hood
Trust us, this means the world when it comes to house hunting. Why? Because you don’t want to find yourself in a part of the hood with nosey and noisy neighbors, or in a half-hour drive to the nearest store. Pay attention to which part suits your needs and lifestyle best. You’ll thank us later.
Make a checklist
The best thing, before you start looking, is to make a list of features and benefits you look for in a home. Pricing. size, location, design, amenities, these are all the things that should end up on your list. If the house meets your criteria, stick around. If it doesn’t – move on. It really is as simple as that.
Don’t rush into getting an offer
This may sound confusing, but you don’t want to be too slow with giving an offer, and you don’t want to rush into it either. Taking the time to consider the decision gives you a chance to research how much the property is really worth and offer an appropriate price.
Visit open houses
Photos on the internet and virtual tours can’t replace seeing the house in person. Spending time in the open houses allows you to get the actual idea of how big the space is if there are any flaws, outside or inside, and things like that. So you don’t want to skip a chance if there is one.
Found a house? Get packing
The hardest part of house hunting is realizing that you have to pack everything and transport it to your new dream home. But don’t stress out too much. With a little help from professionals, you can get to your new place with ease and enjoy it to the fullest!
Hunting season begins
After going through our little Yonkers house hunting guide, you are more than ready to look for a new home. And you’re already a step closer to planning your move. And we are more than honored for having a chance to give you a tour of the home buying world.