Suppertime

While visiting a client recently, her daughter’s playmate received a cell phone call from her mother requesting her to come home for dinner. That brought up memories of when my own mom called me home to eat when I was young. Of course, cell phones hadn’t been invented yet, but she had an equally effective technique. She would simply step out the back door and yell “Suppertime!”. What a great memory.

The tendency to draw comparisons to simpler and more innocent times comes with age. But this recent visit with my client made me think that in most regards, the important things in life haven’t changed all that much. Kids still love to play and parents still love to care for their children. And from a real estate perspective, parents still want a home in an area that offers a good education and safe nurturing environment for their children.

Montgomery County is fortunate to have many fine neighborhoods that meet parents’ needs in every price range. In fact, there is a great neighborhood that will meet just about anyone’s needs, regardless of one’s stage in life or circumstances.

One’s quality of life involves many factors. And everyone has their own unique set of factors that are important to them. Quality of schools, places of worship, size of property, and proximity to work are just a few of the many factors typically considered.

One factor that is sometimes overlooked, however, is aligning the mortgage associated with a home purchase with the buyer’s desired quality of life. Too large of a mortgage can cause undue stress that is counterproductive to a desired lifestyle. Of course, the lender will put a limitation on the size of loan based on what they think the borrower can pay back. But many lenders rely on generic credit ratios that may or may not be in sync with a borrower’s comfort level. A beautiful home loses much of its luster, when the owner finds there is little money left over after the monthly mortgage and other life necessities are paid for.

For clients who would like a little help in determining how much of a mortgage fits in with their lifestyle, I offer a tool on my website called “The Mortgage Comfort Zone Calculator”. It can be downloaded anonymously and for free at www.ClaudiaHohlt.com. There’s absolutely no obligation. Just hit the “Analysis Tools” button on the home page and it will take you right there.

When beginning a search for a new home, select a Realtor that takes a “big picture” outlook with their clients. After all, a successful real estate career is not just about buying and selling homes, it’s about helping clients achieve the best possible quality of life for themselves and their families. After all, at the end of the day, when parents call their children home for supper, the most satisfying dinner occurs when the parents aren’t worrying where the next meal is coming from.

If you're thinking about buying or selling a home, please give me a call. I've been a local Realtor in Montgomery County since 2000 and am the owner of HomesPlus Real Estate Services. My office is at 19755 Hwy 105W. I can be reached at 936-537-1656 or emailed at Claudia@ClaudiaHohlt.com.