Relocation buyers aren’t always looking for their dream home
While many home buyers might be looking for their dream home, this is not necessarily the case for many people who are relocating to Houston or elsewhere. Instead, they tend to look for a home that meets their specific criteria.
This is generally due to the mobile nature of their career, which might take them to a new city every few years. As such, they are often more flexible on some of the aspects of the home they are purchasing, than someone who plans on living here for several years.
Kayelin Wright is a broker associate with Heritage Texas Properties. Not only is she accustomed to assisting relocation clients with their home buying needs, but she was once a relocation client herself, having moved to Houston from Arizona 13 years ago.
She said that many people who relocate to Houston for employment reasons, look for a home based on the elements that are important to them today, as well as what they think will be most appealing to the next homeowner. This is especially true for people who move here knowing that they will only be here for the next few years.
For families that relocate with children, Wright said that the focus is often on communities that have great schools, amenities that fit their lifestyle, and that are within a reasonable commute time to work.
She said that it is also important to discuss resale values with her clients who might need to sell again and move within a relatively short timeframe.
“People sometimes think that resale means getting the lowest price possible for a home, but that doesn’t necessarily equate,” explained Wright. “When talking about resale, it’s not just the price of the home that matters, because there are other factors to think about too. If a home is over 10 years old, for example, the condition of the mechanical systems and whether it has been updated will be important. If the next buyer has to pay for those things, they will be looking to pay a lower price.
“Fortunately our home values in the Houston market are generally more reasonable than in many other major metropolitan areas.”
An exception might be in the resale value of a new construction home if the home buyer anticipates selling the property in the next couple of years. This is especially true in communities where new construction is expected to continue.
“That’s a discussion that I have with relocation buyers, particularly if they are looking for a new construction property in a community that’s just getting started, or if it is one where the buildout time is going to be 5 or 10 years. They need to understand that the home they buy will be in competition with that new construction when they get ready to sell,” Wright said.
She said it is important to point out that even if someone isn’t looking for their dream home, that it doesn’t remove or even reduce the emotional factors that are associated with relocating.
For many relocation buyers, they are making their first move away from their family and friends, and the only life they have ever known.
“I think that the emotional element is always there in relocation,” Wright said. “It is one of the most difficult parts about moving. So, when there are two people involved, like a husband and a wife, I sometimes really have to work with each of them in different ways.”
For instance, she said that the husband might have a very utilitarian mindset, and just be interested in getting done with the process, while the wife might be dealing with the heavier emotional burden of the move. Wright takes the priorities of both parties into consideration when looking at communities and properties.
Drawing upon her own experiences when she moved to Houston, Wright said she understands what people are often going through when they first get here.
“If you’re a seasoned person who has relocated a lot, you know what to expect. If you’ve never relocated before, or if it’s been a long time since your last move, there are so many unknowns. You wonder about who you are going to be living next door to, and what your life is going to be like, and whether you’re going to be able to make friends. That happened to me, and it can be difficult,” Wright said.
Michelle Sandlin is an award-winning writer, journalist and global mobility industry expert. Her work is frequently featured in Worldwide ERC’s Mobility magazine, and in various business and industry related publications and corporate blogs. Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheMichelleSandlin and on Twitter: @MichelleSandlin. Also visit “On the Move” at blog.chron.com/onthemove.