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Searching for Our Perfect Match...

Back in August of 2016, my husband and I found ourselves receiving a renewal letter from our leasing office. Our lease was set to expire in November and with three months to spare we had to decide: to rent or not to rent. As Suze Orman fans, we knew and understood the benefits of buying and building equity, but we also knew that both timing and current financial state were crucial in making the "right" decision. So after some financial reality checks (reviewing our credit report, current liabilities and understanding the market,) we decided to renew our lease for less than a year.

Fast forward to mid January 2017, it's incredible what a few months of focusing and working on a goal can do to your overall situation. Our savings account grew, our liabilities reduced and our credit score even increased--- these changes can help you qualify for your dream home and save money on interest in the long run (you know to buy more shoes, pretty things and go on trips.)

Once we were happy with our pre-qualification and interest offer, we set off to search for our perfect match. Let's just say that finding a house is like modern-day dating-- you swipe more times to the left than you do to the right and everyone wants the hot one in town. Just like with everything in life, arming yourself with the perfect team makes a huge difference, from finding an amazing realtor (shout out to my Greek little sister Stefany), working with a good bank and downloading applications on your phone such as Redfin, Realtor, and Zillow (Redfin was my personal favorite.) All of these resources help, but ultimately it's on YOU to be proactive when it comes to finding your future home.

Here's my advice if you are in the process of buying a home:

Know what you want.
Stay picky.
Have patience.
Don't overwhelm yourself.

Listen, it is easier said then done. Sergio and I knew we wanted a fixer upper in prime location. Location was one thing we were not willing to sacrifice and understood that with our budget it was definitely not going to be a move-in-ready home or a big house... and we were okay with that. After being "heartbroken" three times (yes we put three offers prior to finding our dream house,) we finally found a place that checked off our list of requirements and most importantly was within our budget.

So if you are searching for your perfect match and you hear people tell you, "Don't worry that house wasn't meant to be" (after a house heartbreak) or "The right one is coming," don't roll your eyes. As corny as it all sounds, the right house will come to you at the right time!