When it comes to buying a home in Porter Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, there are three key mistakes you need to avoid:
1. Failing to consider the commute time. Obviously, COVID has altered commute times here in Los Angeles, but now that things are starting to creep back toward normality, many people are back out on the roads, which increases transit times. When you’re looking to buy a home, you need to factor in how long it will take you to get to and from work, as well as any factors that could increase or decrease that time. You can go on Google Maps and plot out your routes beforehand just to make sure the travel is feasible for you.
“You need to be pre-approved before you go out to look at homes.”
2. Worrying about getting a great deal. We all want our clients to get a great deal, but being fixated on a great deal isn’t the right approach. You need to focus on the fact that the home you’re buying is where you’re going to live and raise your kids for a long time. The neighborhood you’re looking in is going to determine what type of lifestyle you’ll be able to lead.
3. Putting the cart before the horse. By that, I mean we often see a lot of buyers who want to go out and look at properties before they’ve actually been pre-approved. If you fall in love with a $750,000 house but then find out you’re only pre-approved for $600,000, you’ll be very disappointed. We’ve also had clients who were looking at a $700,000 home when it turns out they were pre-approved for up to $900,000, meaning they could have been looking at a lot more options.
If you have questions about buying a home or anything else to do with real estate, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to help you.