Buying a home is a big decision—one of the biggest, in fact. It’s even harder when it’s your first time.
So what should a first-time homebuyer know before approaching a real estate agent? The market? Basic home styles? Resale ideas and remodeling potential? The best local schools, or the people who live in the area?
Our answer: none of it.
It doesn’t hurt to know those things, but it’s by no means necessary. That’s the agent’s job. If you find a good one—like one of us!—we take care of everything for you. We spot new listings, study the market, do the negotiating. All the technical details? We’ve spent decades in the field. And any question you have, we can answer. We actually like answering your questions.
We promise, this will NOT happen:
New homebuyer: “I’d like to live in Seattle.”
Agent: “Great! What do you want?”
New homebuyer: “I think a house?”
Agent: [looks impatient]
New homebuyer: “I’m sorry. I’m new to this, and I don’t really know what I’m doing…”
Agent: “Tell me price range. Square footage. Do you need a view? Hurry up!”
Some new buyers, though, don’t like the idea of not preparing anything. So for those type-A people, here’s what helps us most: know approximately where you want to live.
That’s it.
North Seattle, Central Seattle, West Seattle. And if you want to get really detailed, you can even pick a neighborhood. Because finding the neighborhood that fits you best is huge. The location is almost as important as the house—or even more important, depending on who you ask.
That’s why we’re starting a new blog series: Gals in the Neighborhood (tentative title). We’ll give you the inside scoop on Seattle’s neighborhoods and show you the things you can’t find through a normal Google search.
We’ll explain why Green Lake actually isn’t the greatest place for runners, and we’ll tell you where you’ll always have to fight for parking and where you’ll always find open and free spaces (they do exist!). We’ll tell you that if you move to Freemont, you’ll shop at Markettime. Trust us, everyone shops there. And we’ll show you the best dog parks, the highest swings, and the secret parks.
We’ve been doing real estate work for quite a while, and we know Seattle pretty well. That’s an understatement. But the point is: now we’re sharing our expertise. If you want to prep before buying a new house, or if you want to find the hidden gems nextdoor that you’ve been missing for the past few years, or if you just want to learn fun Seattle facts that you won’t find anywhere else, keep checking in.
Once a week, from here on out: a new Gals in the Neighborhood post. We’re excited!
