Who hasn’t seen the Superbowl?  With nothing better to do on a cold, snowy day... why wouldn't you watch the Superbowl?  Growing up in a “football” family, I always had the privilege of watching to Superbowl.  The year that I liked the best was when the Seattle Seahawks where in the Superbowl.   Unfortunately, I'm unable to find the pic of the Seahawk emblem razored in the back of my husband's head and the pics of my kids painted with Seattle green and blue faces but we definitely had Superbowl spirit... Well at least, for that year.

Personally, as the tradition continues year after year, my favorite part is watching the ads. 

To see some of last year's great Superbowl Ads click here: 

The more people I talk to the more I realize that they too watch the Superbowl just for the commercials.  Do you realize how much money is spent on those Superbowl advertisements?  Last I heard it was $2.5 million for a 30 second spot.  My friend calls this advertising “Pay and Pray” advertising.  You pay big money and pray that someone buys your service. 

Obviously, advertisers today spend a lot of money trying to get you to buy something you may or may not want.  If they are effective in their advertising, you have just bought their product whether you needed it our not.  They are counting on your impulse buying.  How many times have you walked out of a store and realized later that maybe that was a bad purchase?  I know I’ve done it with things like tech gadgets I didn’t really need, clothing that was not quite right - yet I thought I needed it anyway and there it sits in the closet, and other items I thought would make life better, easier, more fulfilling in some way, without taking the time to think about the purchase.  Sound familiar?    

Before you even think about buying anything, be prepared. Whether you realize it or not, purchasing a home is a very emotional experience.  As I said before, it’s probably the biggest investment you will make and you want to make sure you don’t move in and wish you had bought something else.  You buy a car based on its looks or what features it gives you, the consumer.  A home works the same way.  You may fall in love with a home because of the “Pottery Barn” decorating or perfect feng shui but it may not be the right home for you. 

The first step in the home buying process is to...

 jot down a list of needs or “must haves,” then make an additional list of desires. 

• Do you need 3 or 4 bedrooms or do you desire to have 4 bedrooms? 
• Do you need a walkout basement or will a full or daylight basement suffice or do you even need a basement? 
• Central Air?
• Attached garage?
• Fenced in yard?
• Acreage?

Be very mindful of what is a necessity and what is a desire and that will benefit you greatly in the home searching process.  

Currently, the Grand Rapids’ market has an influx of properties, which is great news for you.  It’s a wonderful time to be a buyer and it’s quite probable that you will find the home that satisfies both your needs and desires.