Top 5 Tips For Buying A House Long-Distance

Can you imagine making one of the biggest purchases of your life without being able to smell it, touch it, or see it in person first? You may be surprised to learn that many people are doing exactly that! In this video, I'm going to talk to you all about long-distance buying along with five things you need to know to successfully buy a house from far away. By following these tips, you’ll be able to make the best decision and ensure a successful transaction.

#1: Do Your Research

The first tip for successful long-distance buying is to do your research. If you can, work with a real estate agent that can better help you to do so. You’ll want to find out about the area, schools, and whatever else is important to you to make sure all of your needs will be met. That research is critically important to make sure that you end up being exactly where you want to be with the exact home you want to live in.

#2: Weigh Your Needs And Wants

This second tip is super critical, as it will affect what you ultimately buy. Write down your needs and wants on a list and go over it with all of your loved ones. Everybody that's going to be involved in the purchase of the home needs to express exactly what it is that they both need and want. Sometimes those needs and wants may not fit with the budget. I know that I personally often have champagne taste on a beer budget. 

For instance, to comfortably fit your family, you're thinking you need a five-bedroom because you want a craft room and a guest room. If the budget's not going to fit the five-bedroom house that you're desiring, what are you willing to change? You could give up that craft room, trading it for a den, loft, or open space where you can work on projects instead. Or, can two of your younger children share a room? Will you increase your budget, or can you live without some of that extra space that you were desiring?

When it comes to weighing your needs and wants, it's critical to know the difference between absolute must-haves and needs. Assessing what you want and where you'd be willing to sacrifice is key. You may need to either increase on one end or decrease on the other. We want to make sure that you can get as much as humanly possible on your list when choosing your new home.

#3: Narrow The Selection

Once you've created your list and we start looking at homes, it’s time to narrow the selection. You don't want to go out to 30 homes—whether in-person or virtually—and start mixing them up, losing sight of what you want. You’ll wish you could switch and swap housing features between all these properties, which will only lead to confusion. This confusion will lead to more indecision over what it is that you’re looking for, because your dream home now is actually parts of four different homes. Narrow the selection into those homes that do meet the criteria so you can pick the best of show within the homes that you selected.

#4: Use Technology

When buying a house long distance, make good use of technology. Virtual tours are amazing, and we're way past the days where we can take a quick video and email it to you. We could be live, one-on-one, using FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, or Zoom. With all of these technologies, I could easily give you wide angles of the property and talk to you live. I can also answer any questions you have while we’re together in the home virtually. By using technology to your benefit, you can have us go out and do a great tour for you to give you the look and feel of the property.

The only thing I don't have on my phone or my camera is scratch-and-sniff, so you can't smell it. But you can feel it, you can see it, and you can get the vibe of what you're going for.

#5: Closing From Wherever You Are

The fifth tip is to make sure you can close from wherever you are. For this, you simply need an internet connection. Regardless of your location, we can close for you with new technology. There are a lot of documents that could be signed electronically, as well as mobile notaries for those that need an actual ink signature. Gone are the days where you have to worry about missing an initial or missing a signature and holding up the closing. Now, with the professionals that are out there, we get all of the documents to you, they get overnighted back, and voila, we're closed. I go pick up the keys for you and--when you're able to come out--I get to deliver those keys, see your smiling face, and take a nice picture of you in front of your new home.

So if you’re thinking of buying a house long distance, these tips will ensure a smooth transaction and an easy experience. If you have any further questions about how to get this process started, be sure to reach out to me and I’ll be happy to assist you. Make sure to also subscribe to my channel, as I bring your everything you need to know about living in the Henderson area.