There was a point, not too long ago, when buying a house was fairly straightforward: You’d schedule some tours, make an offer, and boom, you’re in the house before you know it.

Today, though, the housing market is a very different animal—fast, ferocious, and ever-changing. In such an environment, it’s no longer a given that all homebuyers will easily find a house and seal the deal. And even more surprisingly, those lucky folks who do succeed aren’t just sitting on piles of cash. On the contrary, real estate agents and other experts we spoke to say that successful homebuyers today simply possess a particular mindset and behaviors that help them persevere in today’s market.

So what are these qualities, you might ask?

1. They’re persistent

While the market might be slowing down in some places, in other areas buyers are still facing intense competition for available properties. This means you might have to make offers on a few homes before one is accepted. As a result, persistence pays off more than ever before.

“Persistent [homebuyers] may still continue to find success,” Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com®, noted recently.

Indeed, she adds, recent data “showed that homeownership rates increased from a year ago, both overall and for nearly every age and racial and ethnic group.”

The lesson here is if your first, second, or third offer doesn’t get accepted, don’t give up.

2. They keep their emotions in check

Buying a home can be a highly emotional process, particularly if you’re in a hot market where you’re competing in a multiple-offer situation. And if you fall in love with a certain home, watch out! The heartbreak that ensues if your bid is rejected might bring you to tears and, worse, despair.

While it’s understandable that feelings can run amok, try to not let your mind wander toward the dark side where you start thinking “What’s wrong with me?”

Successful buyers “don’t take rejection personally,” says Ashley Chambers, a partner at ASAP Cash Offer in Miami. “If a house doesn’t work out, they know there will be others.”

Try as best you can to lean on logic during emotional moments—and do your best to never allow yourself to get too attached to a house before the deal is done.

3. They’re open-minded and willing to move

Traditionally, if you were shopping for a home, you would look within a very small radius, particularly one that gave you a manageable commute to work. But now, with the rise of working from home, those rules have changed—and homebuyers’ standards should adjust along with it.

“One factor driving the success of home shoppers is an incredibly strong labor market that is giving workers the ability to negotiate remote or hybrid working arrangements, even as in-person work is growing more common,” explains Hale.

“With flexible work arrangements still available, home shoppers are able to consider homes farther afield of the office, in the more affordable suburbs or even in a new, less expensive state altogether, enacting their own personal plan to combat cost-of-living increases,” adds Hale.

If you have flexible work options available to you, consider expanding your home search beyond where you’d traditionally look. You might discover other options that will give you more value for your money.

4. They’re not afraid to ask questions

Before making the biggest purchase of their life, smart shoppers would have questions—about the property they hope to buy, the homebuying process itself, all of it. Yet in a fast, competitive market, some might feel pressure to keep questions to a minimum just to keep the deal moving, as though you should feel lucky a home seller accepted your offer at all.

Despite any reservations you might have, Rinal Patel, co-founder of We Buy Philly Home in Philadelphia, suggests bringing your questions to your real estate agent so that you can enter into your transaction with confidence.

“When looking at homes with your agent, be sure to ask them plenty of questions. Not only will this help you get a better understanding of the home and the market, but it will also give your agent a good sense of what you’re looking for,” he advises. “The more you know, the better equipped you’ll be to make the right decision.”

5. They see beyond how a home looks

Everyone wants the perfect home. However, in this market, it’s likely that you will have to make some compromises. Inventory is still low and multiple buyers are competing for the same few homes, all of which means that you’ll be more likely to find success if you’re willing to compromise.

“The most successful buyers today are able to look beyond cosmetic repairs,” says Ashley York, managing broker and owner of Realtopia Real Estate in Lockport, IL. “They can visualize the potential of a property that other homebuyers may overlook in trying to find that perfect home that everyone else also wants right now.”

6. They can draw a firm line between wants and needs

While house hunters of the past might have been able to snag their dream home without too much struggle, today’s homebuyers must be realists. And one way they do this is by knowing the difference between what they want and what they need in a home.

“I encourage buyers to make a list of needs versus wants,” says Marie Bromberg, an agent with Compass in New York City. “If the list of needs outweighs the wants, then they might need to reevaluate their criteria.”

While needs can remain non-negotiable, be willing to be flexible when it comes to your wants, especially if they are things that you can add to the property later on. This is what it takes if you ever hope to buy a home today.

7. They’re flexible and available

“Being flexible is another essential habit to adopt as a homebuyer,” says Kerry Sherin, a consumer advocate with Ownerly in Austin, TX. Since homes are selling at an extremely fast pace, waiting until the weekend to see it might be too late.

“If your real estate agent calls you at the last minute with a great new listing, you should go as soon as you can,” advises Sherin.

And if you do make an offer, Sherin adds that it also pays to be “flexible and accommodating when it comes to contract negotiations.”

If a home seller has multiple offers, the easygoing homebuyer is bound to stand out more than one who demands tons of repairs or other stipulations to close the deal.

For this and related articles, please visit Realtor.com

Window treatments—a catchall term for shades, blinds, shutters, and more—are one of the most impactful ways to make your new home feel cozier and more lived in. But once you start to explore your options (there are a lot) it can be easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why we asked experts to share the most important things you should know about window treatments, from the basics to the looks that are trending right now. Here’s what they had to say:

Window treatments are for so much more than privacy.

One of the first things you probably think of when you think of window treatments is privacy. And yes, window treatments can provide excellent privacy, says Adam Skalman, Vice President of Sales Development at The Shade Store. But they also offer a variety of other benefits. Solar shades, for example, can prevent glare and block UV rays, while blackout shades can create a more healthful sleep environment. Throughout your home, cellular shades can help moderate temperature, keeping heat in during the winter and keeping it out in the summer. And, of course, they can be decorative.

“Window coverings are truly the jewelry of a room and frame the views beyond,” says interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. “I feel they finish a room and add warmth and comfort to a space.”

When considering your options, Skalman says you should take two main things into consideration: “what you would like your window treatments to accomplish in a space and how you would like them to look.”

Most window treatments can be motorized (and they work with your smart-home tech, too). 

Smart shades are the new thing in window treatments, according to Jaret Nichols, co-owner and founder of TBES, which specializes in smart-home systems. These days nearly all of his customers want at least one motorized shade, and while most of his clients are creating custom-made window treatments, he says nearly all window treatments can be motorized. All you really need is a motor.

Popular brands include Lutron, HunterDouglas, Somfy, Control4, and Savant. Regardless of which brand of motor you choose or whether you have a professionally installed system or a DIY system, Nichols says almost all products have integration with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit.

Window treatments can cost a lot of money, but they can also save you money.

When it comes to budget, there are plenty of affordable options out there: Cellular shades, wood, faux wood, or metal blinds, and roller shades are some of the most wallet-friendly options out there, according to Skalman. On the other end of the spectrum, there is no ceiling; the sky is really the limit, especially once you start adding in features like upholstered valances and automation. Want the option to have your shades be sheer or blackout? Considering blinds and drapes? Have to have Roman shades in heathered linen? It’s going to cost you.

The flip side is that window treatments can save you money by keeping heat out (and air conditioning costs down) or by keeping heat in (and reducing heating bills). The Department of Energy recommends looking for products with the Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC) Energy Improvement rating to maximize savings, while Nichols suggests programming your system to lower the shades when it reaches a certain temperature. He also says that you can find specific fabrics, like KOOLBLACK, that reduce heat absorption and help your home stay cooler.

Colorful, patterned window treatments are having a moment. 

Some fabrics and styles will always be in vogue. Linen, for one, continues to be the most popular choice in materials, according to Bullard: “Its durability, natural beauty, and texture is always a winner.” Interior designer Cortney Novogratz adds that a textured white sheer on a French rod is her favorite classic look.”It is a style that is complementary to so many decors,” she says.

But if you’re looking to make a statement with your window treatments, the time to do so is now. “Both color and pattern are back in a big way,” says Bullard. “Patterns, like vines and palm leaves, are very strong motifs that transcend time and place, whilst green seems to be a very strong color in the design world currently. Florals and even chintz designs are back and making bold statements, especially in blinds.” As for linen? “Plain linen is giving way to textures and exotic weaves like the Moroccan basket weave and tone-on-tone embroidery.”

Window treatments should make use of the full window space.

Both Bullard and Novogratz agree that the biggest mistake people make with window treatments is not taking advantage of the full window space, including the space above the window. “You can create an illusion that your ceilings are higher, but you need to utilize every part of the window and above to be successful,” Novogratz says. Bullard adds that seeing a gap between the bottom of the floor and the hemline of your drape is definite no. “Either touch the floor or allow a small cuff of fabric to gather at the floor.”

For this and similar articles, please visit Realtor.com

Many first-time homebuyers might presume they’re better off going used rather than new—in other words, purchasing a pre-existing property rather than pricey new construction.

While it’s true that brand-new homes often come with a heftier price tag upfront, these properties can actually end up being a good—even great—deal for first-time buyers.

“It is true that new-construction homes, on average, are 10% to 15% higher in sales price than resale homes, but that doesn’t mean that they are less affordable,” says Bob Seeman, vice president of sales for New Homes at Realtor.com. “Simply put, total homeownership costs are more than a monthly mortgage payment alone.”

Here’s why first-time homebuyers shouldn’t rule out new construction, and how these opportunities can be a better deal than many might think.

Low inventory means first-time buyers should explore all options

In a housing market that’s still dealing with extremely limited inventory, the reality is first-time homebuyers can’t afford to dismiss this option.

According to the National Association of Realtors®, the inventory of existing homes on the market in December 2022 was at an all-time low of 910,000. That was a year-over-year decrease of 18%, and marks 31 straight months of declines in available homes.

“The housing shortage will get worse over the next year—we simply don’t have enough supply,” says John Hunt, chief analyst for MarketNsight.

For example, Hunt says, to get back to “normal” and meet demand, Atlanta alone would need 66,000 additional homes on the market over the next 12 months.

Compounding the problem is that homeowners who might normally sell aren’t doing so because they’re reluctant to buy a new home—and get a new mortgage—when interest rates are so high.

Translation: Unless you want to be waiting a long time to buy your first home, you should consider new-construction homes because there just aren’t enough homes of any kind to satisfy the current demand.

Builders can help first-time buyers with better financing

Let’s face it, price matters. That’s true whether you’re buying your first home or third luxury vacation property. The difference with a new-construction purchase, however, is you might be able to save money through builder incentives.

These promotions—meant to attract buyers to a certain development project—frequently come in the form of financing help, and this is what can make a new-construction home purchase workable for a first-time buyer.

“What many first-time buyers most need are cash to close and monthly payments that they can afford,” says Seeman. “Because many builders can offer financing through their company’s mortgage arm or through a lender affiliate, they have programs to help reduce the amount of cash a buyer needs to close on a home.”

A reduction in the initial cash outlay can make all the difference for a first-time homebuyer. Many builders are also currently offering much lower mortgage rates through their lenders as well in order to attract first-time buyers who would otherwise be priced out of the market.

“We’re seeing builders get creative with financing—offering rates as low as 4.99% to 5.99% right now, which is lower than what you’ll see for existing homes,” says Alex Toth, director of homebuilder partnerships at Opendoor.

Since mortgage rates spiked in October to over 7% for a 30-year fixed-rate loan for the first time in 20 years, this could indeed determine if a first-time buyer can qualify for a home or not.

Another benefit of working with a builder’s lender is that the lender is usually well-versed in FHA and VA loan options. These low or no-down payment loans might also be a huge benefit to first-time homebuyers trying to secure a mortgage if they qualify.

New-construction homes can save you money on utilities

Total homeownership costs include more than just a down payment and mortgage, but many first-time buyers forget that part of the equation.

“Even if a new home is 10% more than a resale home, new homes are built to the latest building codes, which set more stringent insulation and energy standards,” says Seeman. This means new homes might cost a buyer less in heating and cooling costs.

“Those efficiencies should help offset a slightly higher monthly mortgage payment,” adds Seeman.

Bill Samuel, owner of Blue Ladder Development, agrees.

“In most cases, a new-construction home will be considerably more energy-efficient than an older home since it was built to a higher standard of energy building code, so you’ll likely have lower utility expenses than an older, similar sized home,” Samuel explains.

However, Janice Glessner, the online sales and marketing manager for S&A Homes, suggests first-time homebuyers look for a builder that can offer proof of the home’s energy efficiency through a Home Energy Rating Score.

“This can translate to hundreds of dollars, even thousands, saved every year depending on where and how you live,” says Glessner.

New-construction homes often require fewer repairs—and come with warranties

Another way that a first-time homebuyer might save money by purchasing a new-construction home is through far lower maintenance expenses over the years since all of the components of the house are new.

“Older homes have hidden costs,” says Glessner. “For example, having to replace an HVAC system in an old home can cost thousands.”

But if something does go wrong with your new home, not only are there likely some manufacturer warranties in place, but many builders also include additional home warranties, which can save a first-time buyer from unforeseen expenses.

“Builder warranties usually come with multiple components,” explains Seeman. “For instance, a warranty may cover major appliances and systems—for example, plumbing, electrical—for two years, and structural defects for 10.”

Customization is cheaper than renovation

“Cost aside, a lot of first-time homebuyers are of the millennial generation, who are used to and expect customization in almost everything they do–and a new-construction home provides that,” says Toth. “From integrated smart home systems and technology to customizable finishes, today’s builders are giving first-time homebuyers a wealth of options.”

Numerous experts also agree that one of the biggest benefits of purchasing a new-construction home is the potential to customize the home to meet specific tastes. And this is also a financially savvy move since renovating a resale home can be costlier than new construction.

“Oftentimes a builder will have access to favorable pricing from its subcontractors and suppliers,” says Samuel. “So it is typically much more economical for them to perform upgrades during the construction process versus buying a property as is and hiring a retail contractor to make the requested improvements.

For this and similar articles, please visit Realtor.com