Relocating can be one of the most stressful events in our life. To make the move from the familiar and friends to the unfamiliar and strangers is something that few people can fully embrace. The good news is that with the proper mind set, your relocation experience can be an exciting and fun time if you are prepared for the process. Below are the different phases involved in preparing to relocate to a new real estate market along with the individual steps for each phase. Knowing these will allow you to be more at ease and relaxed as you begin your relocation experience.
PHASE 1 -- PREPARATION FOR YOUR RELOCATION
STEP 1: Determine your motivation for relocating--move closer to friends/family, a better job opportunity, to take advantage of a lower cost of living, to capitalize on a real estate market that is at the bottom of a market correction, etc)
STEP 2: Focus on your motivation for your relocation. You will want to keep your motivation in front of you at "all times" as a constant reminder of why it is important to your family that you relocate. Your motivation will be the keystone in helping to keep your families anxiety, worries, and fears to a minimum. I encourage you to write down your motivation and put it where your family can see it repeatedly throughout the day--on the refrigerator, on the bathroom mirrors, taped to the side of the computer monitor, or anywhere else that makes sense based on your family's unique habits and behaviors.
STEP 3: Write a letter telling about your family. This letter will be shared with Your Realtor in order for him to have a better idea about the uniqueness of your family so he can better service your real estate needs. Include information about each member of your family along with hobbies and interests. Also, what concerns does your family have concerning your relocation? What are the things your family is looking forward to as a result of your relocation? What church affiliation, if any, are you? What attractions and/or areas would you like to visit on your relocation exploratory trip--local parks, health clubs, schools, churches, etc. Basically, include anything that will give Greg a better feel for who your family is and what is important to them.
STEP 4: Refer to "Buying Real Estate - A Step-By-Step Guide" so you are familiar with how the transaction part of the process will flow.
STEP 5: Call Greg at (501) 733-9493 to get assistance in planning your relocation--exploratory trips, recommended hotels to stay at on each trip, and to start to gather information about the area that is important to your family. If you will be relocating to or from an area that isn't serviced by Greg, then he, free of charge, will have a highly trained and qualified Realtor that is best suited for your family based on information you share contact your from the area. Share the 2 lists that you will have created after while reading, "Buying Real Estate - A Step-By-Step Guide"
STEP 6: Request a relocation packet which may include a local map, special offers from local businesses, Chamber of Commerce materials, etc--things geared to making your relocation smooth.
STEP 7: Visit Greg's website to start searching for homes you might be interested in seeing on your relocation exploratory trip. Rate each one either A (definitely want to see) or B (if time permits, I may want to see).
STEP 8: Take a few minutes to focus on your motivation for relocating.
STEP 9: If you are relocating in relation to your job, then check to see if you are eligible for relocation benefits. If you are, find out what the benefits include--free hotel room, meal reimbursement, etc. TWO IMPORTANT POINTS:
1) Give your relocation counselor the name and contact for Greg. At first, they may tell you that Greg is not on their list; however, in almost every circumstance, they will allow you to use him.2) There are a lot of times where the relocation benefits are only "surface level". In other words, the relocation benefits may be in name only. In this case, you are better served by staying away from the supposed "relocation benefits".
PHASE 2 -- PLANNING YOUR FIRST RELOCATION EXPLORATORY TRIP
STEP 10: Schedule dates with Greg that you are planning to be in the area so he can block those days off to meet with you. Let Greg know important contact information like cell phone numbers, hotel information, etc in case they need to reach you while you are in route or once you arrive.
STEP 11: Book your travel arrangements--hotel, air travel, etc. Again, local practices might be different than you are used to so make sure you ask important questions. For example, in some areas it is permissible for pets to stay in hotel rooms, while in others it is not. Therefore, if you are traveling with pets, you will need to make sure that your accommodations allow it.
STEP 12: If you are planning to visit schools any other place that you need an appointment, schedule them and notify Greg of when, where, and what time the appointments are. Keep in mind that you will want to group the appointments as close as possible to maximize the time you will have for your home search.
STEP 13: Let Greg know if there are any houses that you are interested in seeing that he has sent you or that you have found online.
STEP 14: Monitor and Adjust. Keep in mind that no amount of research will prepare you completely for entering a new real estate market. It will be important that you maintain flexibility and you don't allow yourself to get discouraged if the reality of the area doesn't match-up exactly with your expectations. Remember what your motivation is for relocating.
PHASE 3 -- STARTING YOUR HOME SEARCH - DAY 1
Depending on your family's unique needs, you will want to customize the next steps accordingly.
STEP 15: Meet with Greg to tour the area based on the letter you sent Greg in step 3. This will allow you to start to get familiar with the area so that you don't have that "lost" feeling. This will also help you while you are here to navigate when you go out to eat or want to go shopping when you aren't touring homes. It also allows you to start to get a feel for the area and gives you an idea of local architectural styles.
STEP 16: Attend any appointments that you have setup with the local schools, etc.
STEP 17: If time permits, you may want to begin your home tour. Keep in mind while on your tour that it is very common for criteria to change once you actually start looking at what is available in the real estate market. It is important that you let Greg know what items from your original lists have changed so that he can help you maximize your relocation exploratory trip by showing you only properties that you would be interested in.
STEP 18: Decide with Greg when you want to meet tomorrow to continue your home search.
STEP 19: Spend time with your family talking about their thoughts--things they are excited about, any new concerns that may have surfaced, what they think of the area, etc. Write these down and give them to Greg--it would be best if you could fax or email them to Greg that evening so he could make any needed adjustments, if any, for the remainder of your relocation exploratory trip.
STEP 20: Relax. You have taken in a lot today.
PHASE 4 -- YOUR HOME SEARCH CONTINUED
STEP 21: Have a good breakfast and get ready to find your new home.
STEP 22: Meet with Greg and let the home tour begin. Keep in mind you will most likely want to look for a 2-3 hours, take a break for lunch so your family can talk, and then spend another 2-3 hours in the afternoon looking after you have had a chance to regroup and get refreshed.
Repeat steps 18 through 22 until you find "THE ONE" or you have reached the end of your first relocation exploratory trip.
STEP 23: Evaluate where you are.
If you haven't found "THE ONE", then it is time to Repeat steps 10-22 until you do.If you have found "THE ONE", then now is time to CELEBRATE!! Congratulations.
STEP 24: Refer back to "Buying Real Estate - A Step-By-Step Guide" concerning the closing process.
STEP 25: Schedule your movers or reserve a moving truck.
PHASE 5 -- YOU HAVE CLOSED ON YOUR HOUSE, NOW WHAT??
STEP 26: If you have kids, get them enrolled in school. If you are into fitness, then now is the best time to decide on a local fitness center or gym and get your membership.
STEP 27: If you attend religious services, then start visiting local places of worship.
STEP 28: Take time to fully embrace you new home and community.
STEP 29: If you have been satisfied with Greg, please take the time to write a letter of recommendation and a short testimonial for them to share. Think about friends, family, coworkers, or anyone else that you know that would appreciate having the same kind of quality service when they buy or sell. This might be someone that just had a new baby, got a promotion, their child moved away to college, they are being relocated by their job, etc.
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