You’ve made the decision. You’re ready to buy. Now what?

Step 1: Deciding to Buy

To buy a home, you need to be prepared and we are here to help you. Here are a few things to consider:

• Define your needs and wants – make a list of the things you simply can’t live without, like the number of bedrooms and bathrooms your family needs, proximity to schools and work, or storage needs. Then list some nice-to-haves: maybe a pool or deck, finished basement or mud room. This will help you further down the road when you start looking at homes

• Brush up on types of home ownership – make sure you know the difference between freehold (it’s all yours), condo (you take care of the inside and pay fees to an association to look after the common areas and maintenance) and co-op (similar to condos but instead of “owning” your unit, you buy shares in the whole building and pay maintenance and repair fees)

• Understand market conditions – supply and demand can change from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, region to region. So, getting to know the market can help you get more bang for your buck. And so can your Real Estate agent