100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask by Ilyce R. Glink

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How Do I Know
What I Want?

You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, well you just
might find you get what you need.
Rolling Stones
The difference between being a wannabe and a successful home
buyer may boil down to nothing more than knowing the difference
between what you want in a home and what you can’t live without.
It sounds simple, but that difference requires an ability to
recognize what’s really important to you and compromise on the
rest. Unfortunately, our ability to compromise is often lost between
two spouses or partners who forget that they can’t afford to satisfy
their every whim.

It might make you feel better to know that an inability to
compromise isn’t limited to first-time buyers. Each time we buy
a home, we feel that this is the time we’re going to get—or
should get—everything we want. We work hard and deserve it,
right? But life doesn’t work that way, and neither does home
buying. The next few questions are designed to give you some
insight into what’s really important to you and your family.

QUESTION

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SHOULD I MAKE A WISH LIST? WHAT ABOUT A REALITY
CHECK?
First, let’s talk about what exactly constitutes a wish list. A wish list
is nothing more than a list of everything you’ve ever dreamed of
having in your house: granite or slate kitchen countertops (or
perhaps inlaid, stained concrete), a wood-burning fireplace, three-

car garage, four-person whirlpool, the best school district in you

100 Questions Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Ask by Ilyce R. Glink