HOME OWNER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR BUYING, SELLING, and LIVING in your HOME

- REBECCA KIRKMAN WITH KEN IGLEHART, JANE MARION, AND MAX WEISS

HOME SWEET HOME. THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME. HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS . . .

There’s a reason that all these expressions emphasize the emotional attachment we have to our homes. There’s not a single more important purchase you’ll make in your life. It’s where we create memories—both good and bad. It’s where we raise our children, forge a sense of community, laugh, sleep, eat, and feel most like ourselves. It’s also where we deal with leaky roofs, blown-out furnaces, unreliable contractors, and (occasionally) totally annoying neighbors. Basically, it’s the center of our lives, in all of its messy wonderfulness. But every house has a life cycle.

It must be bought, it must be lived in, and it must be sold. That’s where we come in. In this story, we tackle homeownership from all three of those angles. Each can be as rewarding as it is challenging. We’re here to help make it as rewarding as possible.

BUYING

Here’s a raft of tips on how to cut through the thousands of listings to find the perfect home for you.

The Art of HOUSE HUNTING

YOU’VE BECOME A PRO at surfing real estate listing apps, but what are the next steps when you’re ready to get serious about buying? Job one is timing: Most Realtors suggest starting the process about six months before you plan to move. Canton-based Realtor Nicole Callender of Keller Williams Metropolitan shares some tips to make the most of your house hunt.

MAKE “NEED” AND “WANT” LISTS