The 85% Rule

I'd love to help you find the perfect house! Unfortunately, that doesn't exist! What I can do is help you find the house that is most perfect for your needs.

Before we hit the streets and start looking at homes for sale, you need to take some time to seriously decide what you must have in your next home. Compare this to what you would like to have, but that is not completely necessary.

A few years ago, my wife and I decided to downsize. Our older son was away in college and our younger son was starting his senior year in high school at Grayslake Central High School. Our "must have" list was this:

*Must be in Grayslake Central High School district.
*Must have room in the driveway for four cars (we each had a car and our older son came home in the summer, etc.).
*Must have a bedroom, bathroom situation for the boys.

We ended up buying a great ranch style home in Grayslake, Illinois that had an extra driveway (for the kids' cars) and a finished basement with a bathroom in the basement (again for the kids) - plus it was in the Grayslake Central High School district. We love our house. But ... we wish we had a bigger kitchen, the house has a one car detached garage and we would like a two or three car garage etc. etc.

We compromised and ended with a house that met our "must have" list. We met the "85% Rule" which means you should look for a house that meets 85% of the criteria you are looking for. An important factor in this is to truly determine what is a "must have" versus "want" as well. You need to meet 100% of your true "must have's" with an overall criteria met at 85%.

Even in a newly built custom home or a new construction subdivision, you will find that as you settle in, there are some things about the home that you would change.

100% perfection is not necessary to be happy with your home. We know this from personal experience. We love our Grayslake home plus our neighbors are great (something we did not know before moving in). But only you can decide what your 85% rule includes.

Just give your home buying criteria some serious thought and let me know what we're looking for. I'll help you make the most of it!

Jim Starwalt

Thinking of making a move? Log onto my website at www.StarHomeFinders.com and search the Multiple Listing Service from over 150,000 homes for sale. Registering is quick and easy!

Jim Starwalt, Broker Associate RE/MAX Center, Phone: 847-548-2625 Jim@StarHomeFinders.com