Whether you're buying property to live on, as an investment, or selling the property you already have, the world of real estate can be overwhelming to say the least. Even more so in today’s highly competitive market. As we’re planning our own property goals for the next few years we had the opportunity to chat with Jillian Antinora, the brilliant luxury real estate agent behind Antinora Real Estate. After picking her brain for some quality advice, we wanted to be sure and share all of that wonderful information with you! So, here are Jillian’s top five tips.
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Know what you want and what you can live without. - “Imagine your dream property… now think of the things you can be flexible on.” There’s no guarantee that your dream house will even be on the market when you’re looking to buy and flexibility can be key in making sure you have a pleasant home buying experience. Even if the property doesn’t have that pool or sun-room you had your heart set on, upgrades are almost always a good choice.
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Be realistic about what financial decisions need to be made. - “Whoever is the most ready wins!” Will you need to sell your current home in order to upgrade or make the down payment you want to? Have you got a lender set up? The last thing you want is to find your dream home and not be ready to make an offer. Often people don’t get the first home they try for because of this.
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Have a plan, but be flexible. Timing is everything. - “Plans make better buyers.” Moving out and into homes, selling ahead of time or after, finding a rental in between homes; there are so many things to be considered. Having cash on hand for fees, inspections or repairs and other costs should be an important part of any plan as well.
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Do your research, know where you want to be and why. - Whether you want to be in the mountains in Evergreen, closer to city amenities in Fort Collins, or somewhere in between in the unincorporated county; it’s important to have a handle on both the where and the why’s. These details will help your agent to find the perfect property for you. They might even have good suggestions for similar areas that you hadn’t considered before.
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Real Estate is an investment and the Front Range Market is a great opportunity for it. - Don’t wait! Everybody wishes they bought a house five years ago. Our region has been appreciating at one of the highest rates in the country and our growth is only being forecast to continue. “Real estate is the best leveraged investment out there, that is why I invest in it and you should too!”
