Found the Right Home Early in Your Search? Why You Should Buy It

If the home checks your must-haves, fits your budget and passes a careful look, buy it, even if it's one of the first homes you've seen. Finding it early doesn't mean you settled; it usually means you knew what you wanted before you started.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living. One of the most common things I see with buyers in Monmouth and Ocean County is hesitation on the right home because it showed up too soon. They're afraid they'll miss something better. My answer is always the same: you already know what you want. If you find it, why not buy it?

Why do buyers hesitate when they find the right home early?

Because it feels too good to be true. You've been told buying a home is a long search, so when the right one shows up in the first week, it feels like you skipped a step. Buyers start thinking:

• "What if something better comes on next week?"
• "We haven't seen enough houses to know."
• "Everyone told us not to fall for the first one."

Those are fair feelings. But the home doesn't wait for you to get comfortable. If it's right for you, it's probably right for other buyers too.

What usually happens when buyers wait?

Here's the pattern I see. The buyer passes, or waits to "think about it" over the weekend. Someone else writes an offer. The buyer keeps touring, and every house after that gets measured against the one they let go. Weeks later, they're still looking, and the first home is the one they talk about.

The search didn't make them more certain. It made them compare everything to the home they already found.

How do you know it's the right home?

Before you tour anything, we write down what matters. Then when a home shows up, we check it against the list, not against a feeling. Here's how I walk buyers through it:

1. Write your must-haves before you start. Bedrooms, location, commute, yard, layout, the things you won't give up. Separate them from the nice-to-haves.
2. Know your payment, not only your price. Get pre-approved so you know the full monthly cost, including New Jersey property taxes, which vary from town to town. The buying guide covers this step.
3. Study the market before you tour. Look at what's sold recently in your price range and towns, so you can tell a fair price when you see one. The monthly market report is a good place to start.
4. Check the house, not only the finishes. I walk homes like the builder I used to be: roof, systems, layout, signs of water or patchwork. Paint and counters can change. Bones are much harder.
5. Ask one question: does it check the list? If it does, and the payment works, the number of houses you've seen doesn't matter.
6. Write a strong, clean offer. Your offer and your terms matter as much as your price.

What protects you if you move fast and find a problem later?

Moving fast on the offer doesn't mean skipping your protections. In New Jersey, a contract prepared by a real estate agent typically comes with an attorney review period, and most buyers include a home inspection contingency. Your attorney and inspector each get their turn before you're fully committed. Talk with your attorney about how those work in your contract.

That's why I tell buyers: make the decision on the home with confidence, then let the process confirm it.

What are the most common mistakes buyers make with an early find?

• Waiting to see more houses for the sake of it. More tours don't change whether this home fits your list.
• Asking too many outside opinions. Advice from people who haven't been in the market lately can pull you off a good decision. See why out-of-date advice hurts buyers.
• Waiting for rates instead of the home. If the payment works now, the home is the decision. More on that in whether to wait for rates to drop.
• Lowballing to "test" the seller. On a home that's right for you, a weak offer can lose it to a buyer who didn't hesitate.

How does this play out in Monmouth and Ocean County?

Buyers here often search across several towns at once, like Brick, Toms River and Point Pleasant, because each one offers something different in home style, lot size and distance to the water. That's a good way to start. But once a home checks your list in any one of those towns, the town search has done its job. For a closer look at the area, browse the Ocean County and Monmouth County pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a mistake to buy the first house you see?

Not if it meets your must-haves, fits your budget and checks out on inspection. How many homes you toured doesn't change whether this one is right.

How many houses should I see before making an offer?

There's no set number. If you've done your homework on price and location and the home checks your list, you've seen enough.

What if something better comes on the market after I buy?

If the home you bought meets your must-haves and your budget, a different home isn't automatically a better one. Your list is the measure, not the newest listing.

Can I back out after making an offer in New Jersey?

Contracts prepared by real estate agents in New Jersey typically include an attorney review period, and many buyers also have inspection and financing contingencies. Your attorney can explain your options under your specific contract.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Your attorney and lender can advise you on your own contract and loan.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.

Keep reading

• Resources for first-time home buyers
• From pre-approval to closing: the New Jersey roadmap
• Free buyer and seller guides
• Have a question this didn't answer? Send it to Dennis Mark.