Everyone starts their search with a wishlist that might look something like this: New Home Must Haves – Budget: $850,000

• In Belmont or Lexington
• Single Family
• 2,800 square feet
• 4 bedrooms
• 3 Baths, including a Master Bathroom
• An attached, 2 car garage
• A quarter of an acre, flat and fenced
• Air Conditioning
• Updated

I get it! The search is just beginning and you are starting to figure out exactly what you want. Making a list for your dream house is a fun exercise and an important one! It helps your agent understand what you are hoping for and gives you a starting point to explore the market.

However, it is important that you understand that this list needs to be a living document, one that is going to see edits and strikethroughs based on the markets that you are searching in. If you stick to your list too rigidly you could miss out on some great homes, and if your agent thinks a detached garage is a ‘deal breaker’ he or she might not send you a home that could otherwise fit the bill!

So, after laying out your ‘dream’ requirements’, you may want to start sorting those into two buckets; ‘Must Haves’ and ‘Nice to Haves.’ I fully expect that there will be a few items that make the ‘Must Haves’ list that slowly migrate to the ‘Nice to Haves’ as time goes on.

Now, I don’t want to be a dream dasher, but I think it is important to approach your search realistically and know what you really MUST have. For example, I once had a client for whom ‘parking’ was a must since she was living in the city. She ended up choosing a place that was perfect other than the lack of parking, and ended up moving a year and a half later because parking really was a ‘must have’ for her. My sister, Gloria, on the other hand, had parking on her must have list, but found the perfect place without parking in Beacon Hill, and has been happy there ever since.

My point is that you need to know yourself and don’t compromise on the list items that you know you need, but be willing to be flexible on pretty much all of the others. As I have said before, you will find a home that is just right for you, sometimes you just need an open mind to find it!