The Carr Report  

Stop Dreaming
and Do Something!

Gina Carr, Advantage Team Leader

But, I must tell you. What a difference a new home makes!

Our son has several new friends and a great place to play. I have some wonderful woods where I can walk my dogs and let them chase rabbits till they drop (the dogs that is). My mother-in-law seems to like it. I'll go out on a limb here and say that I think that Don is even happier.

My assessment is that our quality of life has risen dramatically — all because we moved into a new home that met our family's needs better than the one we had as newlyweds.

But, this article is not about material possessions. This is about your nest, your home. The physical and financial foundation for your life and your family.

Yes, I could be happy most anywhere. But, I'm really happy in my new house!

So, here's the game plan for you to get your dream home. Dream homes go fast. Don't be heartbroken by driving by your dream home and seeing a "sold" sign in the yard before you even knew it was on the market!

Call a mortgage broker and get pre-qualified. You'll probably be surprised at the amount of home you can buy these days due to the incredibly low interest rates. Also, with no-money-down and interest-only programs, the options for financing have never been more attractive. Find out what you can do financially.

"Put your name in the hat" for your dream home. You might be able to buy it before it even goes on the market. Contact a good Realtor^® and have that agent contact the owner to let them know that if they have any plans of selling, he or she has someone who might be very interested in buying (keep your name confidential, of course).

We hope you enjoy Gina's columns on real estate. Please contact her for all of your real estate questions. And, don't forget, Gina's team is number one at helping people buy and sell homes in 30189. (770) 516-5700.

Visit her at ginacarr.com or viewtownelakehomes.com.

Okay. Fess up. I know you've got one. At least one. We all do. Well, most of us, that is.

What's that?

I'm talking about dream houses. The houses that you drive by and think, "If only I could have that house one day, I would be so happy."

Maybe you drive away with a plan in mind. Maybe you drive away thinking you will never be able to afford your dream house.

Well, I'm here to tell you that dreams do come true.

Even though I've seen hundreds of homes in Towne Lake, there were only a handful that I've ever drooled over and thought "I'd love to have that home one day!"

One of the first homes that ever gave me that dreamy feeling was a home at the end of a culdesac in Eagle Watch. I can't put my finger on exactly what it was about that particular house. There were so many things that I loved about it even before I ever went inside. It's kind of like love at first site.

A few months ago, my dream came true. We are now living in my current dream house. (I say my current dream house because, like most things, our dreams change from time to time.)

Our previous home in Eagle Watch was our first dream home. We found a plan we loved, modified it a bit, and found a builder to build it for us. We picked out the lot back when Eagle Watch Drive stopped at Wedgewood. We moved in right after we got married in 1994. We loved our first home and we still do.