Potential homebuyers are flooded with misinformation: there’s no inventory, interest rates are too high, or saving for a down payment has become too hard. The list of reasons not to buy continues, but the truth is the real estate market is alive and kicking, and it’s about to pick up. The spring market is one of the most active periods of the year. It’s a time of stability between the holidays (extended this year with a Super Bowl parade) and the end of the school year where summer camps and family vacations alter routines. With February breezing by, and Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of 6 more weeks of winter halfway over, potential homebuyers should be preparing for the next steps before we’re celebrating the 4th of July with fireworks and the Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field, wondering where the last six months have gone.

Here are five answers potential homebuyers should know before entering the spring market.

Know Your Why

Whether it’s to find stability, build equity, get away from annoying neighbors, or because life changes happen, a quest for a home starts with a clear objective for exploring what often times can be referred to as the most stressful life decision. Too often this foundational question gets confused with Is it the right time to buy? It’s always the right time to buy. The market doesn’t wait for anyone, but it’s also not a race to the closing table. It should be the right time to buy for the individual(s), and the reason should drive everything else.

Know Your Financial Limits

It’s fun to search online for the dream house with modern updates, an acre yard, two-car garage (Porsche included), fully finished basement, and swimming pool with a patio kitchen. It’s human nature to want something attractive that stretches our boundaries. I want midfield seats every 2026 FIFA World Cup game in Philadelphia. Maybe dabble in a few other cities, too. Why not? These same desires can lead us astray when buying a home, so a potential homebuyer’s next step relates to affordability. An experienced real estate agent can help foster a relationship with a lender, who becomes an integral part of the home-buying team. If securing a mortgage, a future owner needs to project future monthly payments, which includes taxes, insurance, maybe PMI or HOA dues. A mortgage is influenced by debt-ratio and debt-to-income ratio, two key numbers that affect buying power and staying power, along with credit history and employment stability. Once a lender analyzes those numbers and an affordability range becomes more specific, a potential homebuyer will factor in utilities and other monthly payments (car, credit cards, loans, etc.). Only then is it time to explore houses.

Know Your Search Area

Expert knowledge of the search market is one of the biggest skillsets a real estate agent can provide a potential homebuyer. While many of us may drive the same routes to school, the food store, hardware store, our favorite restaurants, or soccer practice, we are so consumed with life and our 90s hip-hop playlists to notice the transactions happening all around us. Real estate is hyper-specific. The value of the same property in two different neighborhoods can vary for a number of reasons. Curb appeal, homeowner maintenance, location, and local economy trends are only some of the factors that influence value. Just because one property sold for X amount last spring doesn’t mean it will hold the same value this spring. It could be higher or lower. A property may sell in five days while a similar property in another area sits for months. Value is not an exact science, but knowledge of the search area and comparable details (bedrooms, bathrooms, basement, garage, yard, pool etc.) puts any potential homebuyer in a better position to find the right home before it’s gone.

Know Your Competition

Although a positive mindset helps turn those dreams into reality, potential homebuyers aren’t alone. Many other qualified buyers are looking for a similar home with many of the same features in the same area, and they may be presenting more attractive offers. Each situation is different, but before visualizing the tap-in closing and house-warming party, future owners must prepare for competition and decide with an agent how they will stand out. Sometimes, the best offer isn’t always the most lucrative. Sellers have their own WHY. Do they need an early closing? A later closing? Are they financially stressed? Do they want the most secure financing? Do they want to sell “as is?” Do they have their own emotional attachments? Are they already living somewhere else? These are only some of the many questions that could alter the direction of what would make the best offer to match the sellers’ WHY.

Know the Process

In a perfect world, the potential homebuyer finds the dream home on day 1, submits a great offer (under ask) that gets accepted, and moves right in 30 days later with no hang-ups or required maintenance. Search To Turn Key, or STTK. It doesn’t always happen that way, but if it does, they are organizing the next outing to the sports book. In most scenarios, the home-buying process takes time. And why rush? As stated earlier, there’s no race to the finish, but there may be situations that affect the smoothness of the ride. The right house may not be available. Offers have counter-offers or rejections. Buyers have contingencies. Inspections uncover major flaws. Financial lightning bolts disrupt mortgage approval. Homes may appraise for less than the agreed contract price. Settlement dates change. These are only some of the situations that affect the process. Despite challenges, an experienced agent can help stabilize the home search until it’s time to for the homebuyer to walk up the front steps and into their new home.