Longtime renters in Illinois, Suzy and Robin would be the first to say they were a little naive in the first home purchasing process.“We thought purchasing a house would be like renting one. You see a house you like, give an offer, and next thing will be you know, you’re moving in to make it a home. Man, were we wrong.”

Suzy and Robin approached home shopping in the same way as renting… but quickly got to know it was more difficult than that.

AMAZED BY UNEXPECTED COSTS

In the early stages of their first home purchasing journey, Robin and Suzy were surprised to discover that their budget didn’t go as far as they planned.

They strived very hard to save their down payment, they assumed they had cleared the biggest hurdle to homeownership. They learned that there were more costs involved than they expected. When one house was not feasible as per their budget, they started losing out one house after another. Soon they realized their money wasn’t going as far as they had hoped.

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THE HIDDEN COSTS OF PURCHASING A HOUSE

Here’s some interesting piece of information to help you navigate some of the planning that took Suzy and Robin by surprise.

After a year of exploring and 4 failed offers, this small family realized they were required to do something differently.

They took a step back from the first home purchasing process and reevaluated the neighborhoods they were considering. They brought a change in their way of thinking. “We realized the house didn’t need to be ideal, just an idea for us.”

After conducting some basic research and chatting with friends, they finally decided to look in a neighborhood they hadn’t considered before. With some hopes, they stumbled across a house that had a surprising potential.

A dream house doesn’t always turn out like a dream.

“When we walked through this house the exterior of it was very odd. We figured out the family that lived here before were using this as a storefront for a glasses shop. It was a little awkward at first, but more and more I realized we could make it the ideal home for us.”

Turns out the seller really wanted a family to live in the house and after a few sessions of negotiations, they got it!

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Your offer was accepted…now what?

What happens when your offer is accepted? Find out what Suzy and Robin learned along the way.

THEIR NEW POV PAYS OFF

Once they knew the house was theirs, they started to set it. A cheap kitchen remodels and a more expensive new roof followed immediately after closing. After a couple of months, they were all set to move in. Suzy looks back with the suggestion she wishes she had when starting her first home search:

“Mysuggestion for someone purchasing a first home would be to treat it like dating. Just because you noticed something that you don’t like, remember, a coat of paint goes a long way. Everything is achievable if you put your mind and heart to it.”

How was their first home buying story? Would you like to shares yours with the world?

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