Its the time of year when Irvington really sparkles, and many hearts turn to finding ones first nest. But buying your first home can be nerve-wracking! I wrote this for for all the first-timers out there... Shopping for a house has a way of bringing anxieties to the surface. I had showings this morning in Irvington with a great couple looking to buy their first home. Bright, articulate and careful with their money, they want a house with space for an office, a big garage for projects, and room for kids someday. At the first stop, a surprisingly nice reno on Sadlier, my client bent down to inspect some molding along the baseboard, and then reached up to run a finger along the wall where someone had painted over some of the hardwood trim. The house had most of what she needed but she was focused instead on little nothings, cosmetic details, easy to change. But maybe it wasnt about the molding or the paint. Maybe it was the the simple fact of buying a house and all its attendant implications and consequences: The commitment to place. The responsibility of a monthly mortgage payment. The investment in ones future. In other words, the big stuff. Focusing on little things can be a handy way of putting off big decisions. I knew the feeling. When I was considering my first house, I fixated on the fake white plastic brick on the living room wall, and a kitchen countertop made of tiny tiles I was certain would be a breeding ground for salmonella. The day we moved in, I noticed that the tree in the backyard was full of blackbirds.They were perched on every single branch and twig. The cacophony was deafening. I stood in the yard and stared at the tree and wondered if something was wrong with the house -- why else would this tree be full of blackbirds? But it wasnt the house. It was me. I was 25 years old, my husband and I had just made the biggest purchase of our lives, I had moved away from my family and friends, and this little brick Cape Cod represented an enormous investment in our future. It was a big deal. It made me nervous. Who wouldnt be? My advice to new home buyers would be this: let yourself feel whatever it is you feel about this big decision, this next big chapter in your life. At the same time, dont let those feelings derail your progress toward finding a great new house. If youre ready to buy a house, approach house-hunting with both heart and head. Make a list of everything you need in a house, and if you find something that meets 80 percent of that list, make it a top contender. As for your heart, you want a house that gives you, for lack of a more precise explanation, the feeling. Its hard to put into words, but youll know it when you feel it. Dont worry about the blackbirds.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 00:58:52 +0000
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