Tips on finding your next home from a Charlotte Realtor featured in HGTV's "House Hunters"
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Tiffany Sears helps her client find a home. Photo: Courtesy of HGTV
Meet Tiffany Sears, a native Charlottean and broker in charge of The Sears Group, who is being featured on HGTV's House Hunters.
Why it matters: The show highlights properties in the Charlotte metro and provides an inside look at what it's like to find a home in one of the hottest housing markets.
Driving the news: The upcoming episode, called "Bougie in Charlotte," airs Friday, Jan. 17 at 10:30pm.
- Sears uses her expertise in relocations, new construction and luxury residential properties to help her client, Shelby Holland, in her quest to find a home that matches her upscale style.
We won't spoil the episode but we caught up with Sears to share some insight for those searching for their next house.
- Here are three things to consider in your house hunt, according to Sears.
Wants vs. needs
Context: Sears' client is looking for something contemporary, but what she wants and what she can afford may not add up, according to the episode description.
What Sears is saying: It's important to establish exactly what you want in your next home to help you narrow down your search. But Sears suggests potential buyers should be open to prioritizing personal needs first so you can expand their list of house options.
- "Charlotte is an amazing place with many options ... Now there are some caveats because if you're looking for a full brick 4,000-square-foot home that is $300K, that's probably not going to happen within the Charlotte market. We can go farther out to the outskirts to probably find that for you so I try to help clients be realistic," Sears says.
Price
Zoom in: Try to identify your budget before you start shopping around. Some buyers can afford to pay all cash while others use family money.
What Sears is saying: High interest rates might also make some potential homebuyers hesitant, but Sears says there's no time like the present to start developing equity if you can afford to.
- "I think people are apprehensive about buying but if you are wanting to own a home now is a good time," Sears says.
Timeline
The supply of homes on the market is increasing but it could still take time for you to find the house of your dreams.
What Sears is saying: If you are renting then it's important to identify when your lease is up and work from there, unless you're prepared to terminate the lease early. If someone is looking for new construction, the timeframe is very important because it will determine what's available.
- "We want to time things up perfectly. If you're looking for new construction you might be looking at a year-long process," Sears says.
What's next: Another episode of House Hunters airing Feb. 5 will also feature another local agent, Veronica Diquez, and Charlotte real estate.
