How long have you been thinking about buying a new home?

A month? 6 months? A year or more?

If you’re still in that rental apartment, or sharing with that noisy roommate, what’s keeping you from taking that leap into home ownership?

No guilt or shame here! We know we all make these big life steps at different times and for different reasons. But when our clients finally make a home purchase, they often say to us, “Why did we wait so long to do this?”

Home ownership is special, but it’s also attainable.

So what’s holding you back?

If you’re waiting to finally get into a home you own, it’s probably because you have questions you don’t have the answers to, and you’re not sure if you’re ready. 

And most likely, the entire process feels overwhelming.

The Truth About Buying A Home

The truth about buying a home is that… yes… there are some steps you need to take, sometimes there are set-backs, and sometimes, the process can have its frustrations.

However…

The process is also FUN and exciting! It’s full of milestones and celebrations!

And what we love the most is that throughout the entire process, you get to DREAM!

Get Inspired

If you’ve been on the fence about home ownership for a while now but haven’t made the leap, here are some things we’d encourage you to do.

1. Learn about your options. Did you know there are some great incentives for first-time home buyers? The Canadian government has a number of programs that can help you get into a home or help you save money on your purchase. Quite often, this is the difference between being able to get into a home or not.
   
2. Watch HGTV. We’re actually not kidding. There’s nothing like some good old home renovation TV or a binge-night of Love It or List It to rekindle your excitement about buying a new home. You could also pick up a few magazines or follow some new Instagram pages. Some of our favs: Lori Morris Designs, Powell & Bonnell, Jennifer Backstein, & Elizabeth Metcalfe Designs.
   
3. Make a plan with an expert. When you’re feeling like the time to buy is approaching, let our experts help! We aren’t here to pressure you or make you move faster than you’re ready to. We’re here to make sure you buy a home you love.
   
4. Contact one of Justo’s expert realtors. Don’t worry. You don’t have to sign any contracts or give us your first born or anything. Just talk to us about what you’re considering. We can get you on a few email lists so we can start sending you the latest listings we think you’ll be interested in. No pressure! Just helpful, informative emails.

Why Make A Plan Ahead of Time?

The home buying process is a lot less stressful when you’ve got your ducks in a row. 

Ideally, you want to be 100% ready to sign the buyer’s paperwork before you find a house you love. Otherwise, you may find a property that’s perfect for you and your budget, but the entire process can derail without a pre-approval or because you didn’t realize a step you needed to take.

So we encourage you to sit down with us and make a plan. Then, when you find that property, you can immediately put in an offer feeling confident (instead of a little like you’re about to jump out of a plane without a parachute).

Things We Can Plan Together

Let’s work together and make buying a home as pleasant and FUN as possible. When we sit down to make a plan, here are the things we’ll discuss.

• First, we’ll talk about the budget. When you’re thinking of buying a home, there’s what you think you can afford, and there’s what the bank thinks you can afford. Unfortunately, no matter how you slice it, the bank is going to win. So we’ll talk about pre-approvals, mortgage rates, and how to go about knowing exactly what price point you’ll need to stay within.
  
• We’ll discuss your time frame. Even if you aren’t planning on buying for 6 months, it’s not too soon to start working on your checklist. If we know your time frame, we can update you on new builds and projects set to complete around the time you want to move.
  
• We can talk about your preferences. You might not know exactly what you want, but we may know about options you haven’t even thought of!
  
• We’ll talk about costs. Sadly there are more costs to consider than just a downpayment and a mortgage. Closing costs, taxes, other fees, utility installation etc all need to be considered. We know the entire list and can help you understand exactly what you’ll need throughout the process.
  
• Anything else you need to discuss. We’re here to help YOU. That’s our job, and we want to do it well. So if you’ve got questions, we want to provide you with answers! Anything you need to discuss, we’ll be glad to talk through with you. You don’t need to be embarrassed or worried about your current situation. If we can help get you into a home, we will! And if now isn’t the right time, we’ll help you know exactly what you need to do so you’ll be prepared for the future.

When the day comes and you’re finally ready to look at properties, instead of feeling nervous and overwhelmed, you’ll be excited and full of hope and inspiration! That’s our goal!

We want you to feel great about the home buying process. It’s a huge accomplishment! So let’s do it in a way that brings joy and peace to the process.