Finding the Perfect Home

With so many tempting choices in the housing market today, homebuyers can get lost or overenthusiastic about the process. Some little details can become big issues later, so we've drawn up a few tips to help you keep your search on track.

1. Know what you want! Sounds simple but it's not always easy. Take into account how many people will be living with you, and how many bedrooms and bathrooms they will need. What kind of rooms do you want. For example, do you want a formal dining room? A family room? You may even want to sketch your perfect dream house. As you do this, write up a list of features and categorize them according to how important they are to you: 'must have', 'prefer', or 'optional', etc. You don't want your desires to become too narrow to fulfill.

2. Tackle the important issue of financing. Contact Robert Myers or a mortgage expert at your bank to advise you on what investment would be safe with your income. You may want to make up your mind to find something cheaper than the budget you have for a home, just to be safe. Don't forget to check your credit score and get proof of employment taken care of. Get pre-qualified for a home loan! This way you will know where you stand early in the process.

3. Consider where you want to live. This is an incredibly important step. What neighborhood do you want to be in? Do you want to relocate to Maui but you aren't too familiar with the island yet? This problem can be solved in many ways. From your computer you can explore our property listings by region and neighborhood or contact Robert Meyers with your questions by e-mail. If you prefer to communicate by phone, call 808-662-0003. If you'd rather venture out, talk to people who live on the island to get a feel from them and do a little exploring on your own. Gather information on schools, entertainment, how far you will have to drive to get groceries, or get to your job etc. Keep temperature in mind as well. Living upcountry can be much cooler than a sea level residence, but is usually farther away from the beaches. Write up a list of neighborhood ranks according to your preference.

4. View homes. Explore the options but don't hurry the process. View properties in your preferred neighborhoods and compare prices. Instead of viewing scads of homes over the course of a weekend, consider viewing one or two a day, perhaps after work. This will allow you to give each property a fair amount of consideration. There are many options out there, so make it a point to see as many as you can.

Keep these steps in mind to help you manage the crucial process of choosing the right home at the right price in the right place.

Interested in buying or selling a property on Maui? We feature listings from all over the island including Maui oceanfront homes, condos in Kihei, land in Haiku, you name it. It's all available here for your perusal. As always, if you have any questions, please contact Robert Myers.