Love at first sight: it only happens in the movies, right? Some believe it, while some do not when it comes to finding a mate; but what about when it comes to finding a home?

Surely, in today’s real estate market, you would be foolish to buy the first home you see, right? Maybe not! There is no hard and fast rule about how many homes you need to see before making an offer. You could see three homes and find the exact one you are looking for then turn to your realtor and say, “I don’t need to see anymore. Let’s make an offer on this one.” Somehow, over the last four to five years, we have gotten brainwashed into thinking that we need to see 40-90 homes before we can make an intelligent decision. That’s just hogwash. Chances are, after you have seen 20+ homes, they all start to look alike and you wouldn’t remember which one had the main floor office versus the main floor master.

I have said it before and I’ll say it again. There is no perfect house and if you find one that meets 85% or greater of your needs, then you’ve done well. Spending month after month and weekend after weekend looking for the home that meets 100% of your criteria is an exercise in futility. Many times, buyers fail to see the potential of the homes that they are looking at because they are in such a hurry to see what’s next on the list and what could even be better. I found that in life, we sometimes spend too much time always looking for what’s better.

You may have looked at one home, 10 homes, or 100 homes and I bet for the people out there that have looked at 100, they came back to buy one of the very first homes they ever saw in their search. Trust your instincts when you are shopping for a home. If it feels right, it probably is and more shopping will only delay your purchase of that home. There is no shame in buying the first, second, or third home you’ve seen. In fact, I often say to my buyers after we’ve seen a home and they’ve had a positive response, “Is there any reason to see more, or should we talk about making an offer on that home?” Remember what I always say, “Realtors are the only people meant to look at homes for the rest of their lives.”

If you are looking for a home and don’t have an agent, we would love to help. Just give us a call at the Lise Howe Group, 240-401-5577.  Be sure to ask about our relocation program if you are moving to the area from out of state.

Thank you Daniel Polimino (Keller Williams Realty DTC) for this very practical blog!