Stage 3: Determining Your Wants and Needs

Creating a wish list

Becoming a homeowner means knowing that you will live in the same place for many years. Before you decide on a house, it is important to be sure that it meets the needs of your lifestyle. You and your planning group will probably want to begin by making a "wish list." The list should be divided into three sections: your ideal home, neighborhood, and assistance. This is the place to write down, in as much detail as possible, exactly what you are hoping to gain by becoming a homeowner.

What type of neighborhood do you want to live in? This may be the first time you have had a choice about where you live. Take advantage of your planning group to help you decide how your ideal neighborhood will look. Remember to refer to the profiles you created earlier. The following considerations may be helpful:

• Would you like to find a house in the area in which you currently live?
• Are there family or friends you would like to live closer to?
• Are there better opportunities for finding a job or volunteer activity in some neighborhoods than in others?
• Do you rely on public transportation? If so, is it available and convenient for you to use?
• Are you interested in having a pet? A garden? A swimming pool? A nearby park? A video store or grocery store within walking distance?
• Do you enjoy the hustle and bustle of a busy neighborhood with lots of children, or do you prefer a quiet, older community?
• If you will need assistance to live in your new home, does the location affect the availability of such assistance?
• How does the property tax rate compare with other areas? (A real estate sales professional can help answer this question).
• How safe is the neighborhood compared to other areas?
• Do you wish to join recreational activities, attend a place of worship, or be involved in local politics?

On a sheet of paper, list all of the features that you will look for in an ideal neighborhood. Once you have a specific notion of the type of neighborhood that is ideal, you need to determine where to find it. A good first step might be to look at maps of the area where you want to live. You can usually find a detailed map in the local phone book. Which neighborhoods offer the most features on your list? Studying the maps will give you a good idea of where to start shopping. The members of your group may be familiar with various neighborhoods and might be able to make suggestions about where to begin.

The easiest way to become familiar with various neighborhoods is to explore them first-hand. You, and the people who are assisting you, should take plenty of time to wander around in different locations until you find a neighborhood that seems right for you. Chat with people and ask a lot of questions to find out what activities and community services are available in the area. Explore the local supermarket, bank, video store, places of worship, and recreation center. Check to see what types of medical services are available. Is the public transportation system adequate to meet your needs? Narrow your list down to a few of the most desirable neighborhoods.

What kind of house do you want? Whether or not you have a vision of your "dream house," you probably have some idea of the type and size of house that suits you. Make a list of the features that are most important to you. You may want to organize the list in order of priority. Some of the items on your list may be absolutely necessary, while there are probably a few that you could live without.

Your decision about the type of neighborhood you want to live in will have considerable bearing on the style of house that may be available. It might be a single-family house that stands on its own, a townhouse, or a unit in a condominium or cooperative project. Some of the housing choices you will encounter are described briefly below.

Single-family home. A single-family home is a house that usually stands on its own, unattached to another home. In some urban areas single-family homes share a common wall. Generally, the land and the house are owned by the same person. It is self-contained and designed to be occupied by one person or family (this could include housemates or other non-related people).

Condominium. Condominiums are the "starter home" of choice for many home buyers today because they are generally smaller and less expensive than standard single-family houses. The term "condominium" does not describe a particular type of building, but rather a type of joint ownership. Each residential unit is individually owned, while the facilities and common areas (the surrounding land, the hallways and elevators, and any recreational facilities) are owned collectively by the owners of each unit. In addition to their monthly mortgage payment, condominium owners pay a "condo fee" that pays for management of the complex, upkeep of the common property areas, and sometimes the cost of utilities.

Condominiums combine some of the advantages (and disadvantages) of apartment living with those of homeownership. Condominium owners reap the same financial benefits (tax breaks, for example) as other homeowners without many of the traditional chores of homeownership (such as shoveling the walk or hiring a contractor to fix the leaky roof). Sometimes condos offer such amenities as landscaping, meeting rooms, and recreation rooms. Many are in planned communities that offer wooded areas and plenty of play space for children.

Selecting a condominium is a bit more complicated than buying a single-family home. You must investigate not only the specific unit in which you are interested, but also the entire project, from both a physical and a financial standpoint, to understand what your condo fees cover. There may be special assessments, which are additional costs paid by everyone in the complex, to cover unusual or unexpected expenses. These expenses include repairs or upkeep affecting everyone, such as street and driveway repaving, exterior painting, or roofing.

Townhouse. A townhouse is simply another style of condominium. These units also share common walls, and may have two or more stories. Each unit has its own ground space, but as with other condos, the common spaces and facilities are collectively owned by all of the unit owners. Even though you have little or no input about the outside of a condo or townhouse, the inside is yours to decorate, furnish, and use however you see fit.

Cooperative. Cooperatives, or co-ops, are similar to condominiums in that they involve a form of collective ownership. However, legally they are quite different. Co-op owners own shares in a corporation that owns the property, rather than owning the individual units where they live. Cooperatives are well established in New York City and in some other parts of the country. In some of these co-ops, an individual is hired by the cooperative to be available for minor maintenance and repairs.

Questions to ask. Now that you have some information about various types of houses, you may find the following questions helpful in deciding just what sort of house is ideal for you:

• Are you interested in an older home or a brand-new one? Would you prefer to design and build your home?
• Does the idea of a condominium appeal to you? A townhouse? A single-family house?
• If you prefer an older home, do you have the resources to complete repairs and renovations that may be required?
• What size house do you require? Be sure to consider your future needs; for example, do you plan to have children or have a housemate or live-in assistance person?
• How much land would you like to have? Think about whether you would like a garden, a play area, room for a pet, a clothesline, or a swimming pool.
• If you choose a home with a large yard, how will you maintain it?
• Is off-street parking important?
• Do you need space for a washer and dryer? A second bathroom? A porch or deck?
• Is a garage or workshop a necessity?
• Would you like a fireplace? Lots of windows? A hot tub? Air conditioning?
• Do you need a house that is accessible? Exactly what is needed for you to move about freely?

You may not find a house in your price range that offers everything you want, but it helps to be able to tell a real estate sales professional and others who are helping you what features are most important to you. Worksheet 1 from the appendix may help you develop an idea of the type of house you are interested in.

Once you have determined what features are most important in a house, look at the neighborhoods you have identified as desirable. Look to see which neighborhoods have the kind of houses you want. You are now ready to begin your search.

In order for you to be a successful homeowner, you and the people who provide you with assistance must carefully consider how much and what type of assistance you will need in your new home. You may not need to change your current arrangement, except the location. However, for some people, drastic changes may be necessary once you move in. Make a list of the kind of assistance you need, or refer to your "Assistance Needs and Abilities" profile.

You may never have lived alone before, and others, such as your parents or housemate may have provided you with assistance. You may discover that you must now arrange for someone else to provide that assistance. If you have lived in a group situation and needed assistance, you probably shared services with many people. These services were not likely to have been designed with only you in mind. Now that you will be living alone, you will need to have personal assistance services tailored to suit your needs. Here are some things to consider as you make your list of ideal assistance:

• Will some of the assistance you need be temporary? Once you have settled in, gotten familiar with your neighborhood, become adept at using the available public transportation, and established yourself in your new home, will you need less assistance?
• If you have limited mobility, sight, hearing, or have trouble communicating, who will assist you with these activities? What types of assistive technology will you use?
• How will you remain safe if there is an emergency?
• Could a neighbor be used to provide backup assistance?
• Is there technology that would allow you to contact someone in case of emergency or to sound an alarm?
• For some tasks, would a dog who has been trained to provide assistance be a good alternative to a person?
• How much time do you want or need an assistance person in your home: (a) during the day, (b) in the evening, and (c) overnight? Do you want or need a live-in assistance person?
• Do you need help in locating, hiring, and supervising paid assistance people?
• Do you have funding or resources to pay for the assistance you need?

Once you have determined your ideal assistance, list ways you can obtain it.

Creating the ideal system of assistance can be challenging. Again, use your planning group. Group members may be aware of resources. Check with local human service agencies, employment security offices, the local homemakers organization, and colleges and universities in the area. Often, businesses offer assistance in using their services. The local supermarket may offer help with shopping; the bank may help with balancing a checkbook; and the local pharmacy may offer home delivery.

Let’s look at Joe’s wish list to see how one person’s ideal neighborhood, house, and assistance might look.

Close to mom (within twenty minutes by bus)

Within twenty minutes of Joe’s church

Mix of all ages

Close to an accessible park or hiking area

Within walking distance of a convenience store

Dog-friendly neighborhood

On a bus line

Sidewalks with curb cuts for wheelchair

Close to movie theater

Quiet at night

Low crime

After looking at Joe’s list of an ideal neighborhood and some city maps, the group determined that there were four suitable neighborhoods (A, B, C, and D) in Joe’s town. These neighborhoods were all within a short bus ride of Joe’s mom and were within walking distance of a downtown area. Neighborhoods A and B were close to accessible parks. Neighborhoods C and D were not, but these had other features that Joe was interested in, such as a community swimming pool and an animal shelter where he could volunteer to work with the dogs.

Single-family house

Adequate yard for a dog

Lots of windows

Large kitchen

Spare bedroom

Screened-in porch or deck

Wheelchair accessible

Space for basketball practice

As the team looked more closely at the four identified neighborhoods, they realized that all of the homes in neighborhood A were condominiums. Since Joe was clear that he wanted to live in a single family home, the team eliminated neighborhood A from the list of possibilities. This left three neighborhoods in which to find houses which had the features Joe had listed under his ideal house. Neighborhood B had many newer, one-story homes that would probably be more easily made accessible than the majority of houses in neighborhoods C and D. Joe would still look in the other two neighborhoods, but neighborhood B became his first choice.

Someone to call during the night in case of emergency

Personal assistance getting in and out of bed and shower/tub

Help taking medication twice a day

Assistance with food shopping and menu planning once a week

Help with budgeting and bill-paying twice a month

Assistance reading and answering mail

Drop-in assistance at work, once or twice a month

Help in planning for holidays

Assistance with making medical appointments

Assistance with getting to know the neighborhood

Help with obtaining a dog

After reviewing the above list, Joe and his team came up with a clearer picture of his assistance needs for the first month in his new home. At the end of that time, they would see how things were going and whether he needed more, less, or different types of assistance.

Once Joe moved in, he would need to have assistants come in twice daily to help him take his medication and get in and out of the tub/shower and bed. Suzanne agreed to investigate purchasing a roll-in shower so that Joe would not need help bathing.

Three times a week, Joe would also need someone to assist him to learn his way around the neighborhood and locate activities he was interested in. On a weekly basis, Joe would need assistance with meal planning and food shopping. Joe would also need assistance making and preparing for medical appointments. Ruby agreed to talk with someone at Joe’s bank to see if they could assist him with his budgeting and bill paying. Peter agreed to help Joe obtain a dog and locate an obedience class.

Joe would need assistance for approximately 15-20 hours per week. Joe preferred to look for assistants who were around his own age and who were familiar with the neighborhood. Ruby would be responsible for placing a want ad in the local paper and putting notices on local bulletin boards.