Are You looking To Purchase A Home Or A Lifestyle?

Are you looking to purchase a home or a lifestyle? That was the question I posed to a buyer this morning on a fact finding conversation. Are buyers today looking to purchase a home or a lifestyle or a combination of both? It seems we are in a shift of a paradox from what the generation I was/am in grew up with and our parents grew up with. One in where the American dream was to own a home with a garage, white picket fence and have 2.3 children and live in suburban America and commute to work. Now people are different and the needs of people differ. What I might find absolutely appealing and must have in terms of a place might not appeal to you and vice versa. As a Realtor today it is more imperative to find out more about what people are looking for in a lifestyle living area than it is in a house. Everyone wants the three to four bedroom homes in a good school district and a safe neighborhood. And truth is told that covers most of the neighborhoods we all sell in. Besides the fact, the Fair Housing Act prohibits us from steering clients toward or away from neighborhoods. Some people I talk to are looking for bungalow type living or rural life in a city where things are close by. Others are looking for golf courses, water, or other outdoor activities within walking distance or the home to be located on a lake or a golf course. Then you have the ones looking for commute distance, newer homes versus older homes, neighborhoods versus subdivisions....The list goes on and on and on. So, today I tend to talk to clients about lifestyle and what they like to do and where they like to go. I have found it extremely helpful in directing clients towards neighborhoods or areas that best meet the lifestyle needs they want. I had one the other day that wanted to be near a park. We looked at this gorgeous home she absolutely adored. But she said there is no park. I said actually there is around the corner less than a quarter mile from here...We walked over to the park and she was sold on the home. Knowing what was important to her in terms of lifestyle helped me find homes close to amenities she wanted and found desirable in addition to the home features....Are you asking your clients or is your Realtor asking you about lifestyle when you search for a home? You might be surprised if you go back and think of why you ultimately bought the home you are in. I realized the lifestyle was the deciding factor on why I chose the house I am in now and have no regrets because of it. You may not realize it but it may be the deciding factor between you finding the right house and not finding the right house... Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Coldwell Banker United Cell: 704-519-7895 ddicecco@cbunited.com www.davedicecco.com