Happy New Year! It’s officially 2018, and there’s no better time than now to set some New Year’s resolutions. But have you ever thought about making some resolutions related to real estate? Buying or selling a home, after all, is a huge and involved process. Even though having a knowledgeable agent helps, there are plenty of things you can do yourself to make the process and smooth as possible. For example…
RESOLUTION 1: FIGURE OUT YOUR GOALS
The importance of this cannot be overstated. Before beginning any real estate transaction, figure out what exactly you want. Are you looking to sell? Then determine what sort of sale will work best for you. How much money are you looking to net when all is said and done? Are you looking to buy another home immediately, or will you be renting after the sale? What time frame are you looking at…are there any times in the year in which moving would be too disruptive? If you’re buying a home, how much can you afford to spend? What areas are you looking at? What features are must-haves?
These questions seem basic, but together they cumulatively form the bedrock of any real estate purchase or sale. If you need some help, arrange a meeting with your real estate agent to go over this info. You’ll be glad you did!
RESOLUTION 2: FIGURE OUT YOUR TAXES
Huge changes are coming to how your taxes are calculated. As is often the case with taxes, these changes can be complex and confusing, and determining how they affect you can prove difficult. However, taking the time to consult with a tax professional is worth it in the long run, as few things feel worse than being blindsided by an unexpectedly large tax bill. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need a recommendation for a tax professional. It is key to financial planning and setting your yearly budget and goals.
RESOLUTION 3: WATCH THE MARKET
If you’ve noticed, there’s a theme here: information is crucial to your real estate plans. Information about the real estate market is no different. We are coming off a year that saw record high home prices and record low inventory, and all indications are for these trends to continue in 2018. The real estate market can be fickle, though, and uncharted territory can bring unexpected consequences. Market fluctuations can affect the value of homes by hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Bay Area, so it quite literally pays to pay attention.
Naturally, part of my job is keeping up to date with these matters, and I want to make it easy for my clients and followers to stay informed. Follow me on Facebook or Twitter for an easy way to keep up with the latest real estate news!
Hopefully this list of resolutions will be helpful when it comes to jumpstarting your plans involving real estate in 2018. Here’s a bonus one: join my Real Estate Ambassador Program! This referral-based program is an easy way to earn perks while helping me build my business. It’s fun, it’s simple, and it’s mutually beneficial! For more details, email ejohal@kw.com.
Other ideas for New Year’s real estate resolutions? Please share them in the comments. Let’s work together to get this year off to a powerful start!