4. Get connected if possible with your real estate broker online. Log in as a new visitor on your agent’s website for daily updates and to search properties at any time which are currently active, now under accepted offer and recently sold. I frequently communicate via email with buyer clients during the course of a search. I am, of course, available by phone and in person as appropriate. That being said, a great deal can be and is accomplished via email during the course of a search.

3. Pay close and careful attention to all the properties you see. Even if the house is a bomb, a light may go off in the kitchen on your tour that you want an island. It may come to you on the dark and dreary back deck that you really want a deck – all properties send messages. Let them speak to you so that you can refine your search parameters and learn what is important to you.

2. Have your real estate agent complete a market analysis for a property you feel inclined to make an offer on. When you think you are ready to do something, your real estate agent ought to carefully consider the subject property with you, weighing pluses and minuses. Also, your agent ought to crunch the numbers and review relevant properties now for sale, under accepted offer, and recently sold. Is it a deal? Priced right? Overpriced?

1. Maintain a positive attitude. Things can and do happen in a real estate search: you might lose out in a multiple offer situation; it might be discovered during a home inspection that your dream home has a serious structural defect; the place you are certain is perfect for you comes on the market when you are out of town. HANG IN THERE! Keep a positive attitude. Remember, this is real estate – expect the unexpected.

Generally speaking for most buyers who practice these five precepts, the result is a successful search.

If you are considering buying or selling in Cambridge, I am here to help. I can be reached at ccherney@hammondre.com or 617-733-8937.  I am a Harvard graduate, a Cambridge resident and a top broker in the city since 1999.

To gain instant access to photos and descriptions of all MLS properties now for sale in Cambridge, MA log in as as new visitor at Cambridge Real Estate.

Take the pulse of the Cambridge right now on Twitter.

The Cambridge Real Estate Blog.

Retain a hard-working buyer’s agent who is value-added to your search.

A buyer’s agent who
- tracks the market and alerts you to listings of notecomes to truly understand your search and over time develops a refined sense of what is suitable and what is not
- is capable of completing a meaningful market analysis when a property of interest comes into focus
- is a good negotiator and a well-spoken advocate for your interests
- knows the market and can help you weigh and consider the offerings in a meaningful way
- is a dependable source of information and insights about the market, your search, and the home-buying process.

Carefully consider the resale value of the property you wish to buy.
Size. Price. Location. Condition. Upside. Many factors – consider them all.

Learn from yourself in your search what you are really searching for.
A tour of six properties on a Tuesday afternoon may not turn up your dream home. However, pay attention at each address and learn from yourself what you are really searching for – climbing to the top floor and being short of breath may remind you that you want to be on the first floor. Responding very positively to a new kitchen may bring home the importance of finding a cook’s kitchen. Looking out the window at the neighbor’s picture-perfect yard may tell you that for your new  home you really want a super outdoor space – or maybe just a nice view. PAY ATTENTION to what you are thinking and feeling in the course of your search and learn from yourself as your search opens up and advances forward.

Be realistic.
It’s not about lowering your standards -rather, it’s about understanding what is achievable in your price range.

Be positive.
You are much more likely to succeed in your search with a positive mindset. You do not have to find ten properties – you need to find one. Specifically, one which meets your needs and is a good choice for you now and looking forward. For sure, there’s more to the process than a positive mindset. However, being positive goes a long way towards allowing for a successful outcome in your search.

If you are considering buying (or selling) in Cambridge, I am here to help. I can be reached at ccherney@hammondre.com or 617-733-8937.  I am a Harvard graduate, a Cambridge resident and a top broker in the city since 1999.

To gain instant access to photos and descriptions of all MLS properties now for sale in Cambridge, MA log in as as new visitor at Cambridge Real Estate.

Take the pulse of the Cambridge right now on Twitter.

The Cambridge Real Estate Blog.

Sometimes, buyers feel they are five shots behind in their search. Is the preapproval letter up-to-date? Have you and your broker reviewed the active inventory and made sure you have seen the properties of interest? Are you keeping a close watch on new listings? Have you confirmed that you understand your price range and are not missing something just outside of the range you are looking in? What have you learned about your search in reviewing the properties you have seen?

A good buyer’s agent is like a goody caddy – right there beside you to help you make informed decisions every step of the way.

Over the last ten years, I have been struck again and again by how a commitment to working together to stay on top of the market and not losing sight of a buyer’s specific requirements and particular situation leads to the winner’s circle – a residence which a buyer feels good about owning.

Off to see if Tiger can catch up with the leader!

If you are considering buying or selling in Cambridge, I am here to help. I can be reached at ccherney@hammondre.com or 617-733-8937.  I am a Harvard graduate, a Cambridge resident and a top broker in the city since 1999.

To gain instant access to photos and descriptions of all MLS properties now for sale in Cambridge, MA log in as as new visitor at Cambridge Real Estate.

Take the pulse of the Cambridge right now on Twitter.

The Cambridge Real Estate Blog.