New Year, New Home: How To Make It Happen in 2025

The start of the New Year is a great time to take inventory of the past year, reflect and set goals for the year ahead. As your vision of 2025 appears before you, what does it include?  For many people like you, it includes a picture of a new home filled with love, comfort and safety. But how do we make it happen? And where do we begin?


Here’s some advice that can help you get the ball rolling.

Why do you Dream of a New Home? Focus on Your Reasons.


To lay the foundation, you need to focus on your why. While the finances are important, so is the motivation behind your interest in making a switch. Maybe your family is growing and you need more space, maybe the children are leaving the nest and you want to downsize, or perhaps you have arrived at the stage of buying your very first place to call home. Whatever your reason, it’s important to keep it front and center.


Your reasons are what help you to stay focused on realizing your goals. Share your why with your agent and they’ll use their expertise to help support that goal, no matter what the market looks like. With an experienced and committed agent by your side, you’ll have someone to provide every level of support that you need - guidance, an answer to any question, laying out the steps, problem solving and effective strategy to arrive at the finish line.

What are your needs? Get Clear.


In order to make your home manifest, you need to decide what you want your new home to have and envision it. Do you need a home office or outdoor space? If the new digs don’t have those things, would that be a deal breaker? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want?
Differentiating between what would be nice to have vs. what is a must-have will make the process smoother.


No matter what your budget is, it's essential to have a clear idea of your essential items in the forefront. What are some essentials that you might be willing to negotiate if the home has almost everything you need and want? For example, the neighborhood might be flexible, if the home meets your needs. Your agent will review those qualities with you and help you find the home that checks the boxes that matter most, while considering price points within your price parameters.

Numbers. Know your Financial Spectrum


It's key to examine how much you have saved and what is comfortable to allocate for your monthly payments, before you dive in.
Knowing what is possible will become clear if you focus on your budget early.


The best way to do this is by partnering with trusted real estate professionals, like a local agent and a lender. They’ll help you:



  • Plan for your down payment and look into down payment assistance programs
  • Understand the equity you have in your current home and how you can use it to fuel your next move if you’re selling
  • Get pre-approved for a mortgage so you know what you can borrow

Lean on a Pro To Guide You


With the expertise of a reliable agent, knowing where to start and how to navigate the process, is made easier.
A real estate agent will provide a necessary layer of support and guidance. They’ll be a tremendous resource, so you can balance the other aspects of your life and family with ease. Whether you are buying or selling, your agent will be able to answer your questions every step of the way. 


As Bankrate puts it:


“. . . now more than ever, it’s smart to lean on the guidance of an experienced local real estate agent. If you want to enter the housing market in 2025, whether as a buyer or a seller, let a pro lead the way for you.”


Remember, you have made great goals for 2025. Having the right expert on your team will give you confidence in any market. They’ll be there for you to lean on every step of the way.

Bottom Line


If you plan to make the New Year the year to have a new home, It's time to get started. Focus on your why, know what you need, and collaborate with trusted professionals to make it happen. Let’s team up and make 2025 the year you make your real estate goals a reality!


Look out for our upcoming Saturday Lunch & Learn events, hosted by Heather Stoltz and her team at the San Francisco location!

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By Heather Stoltz May 30, 2025
There is always something new to learn about San Francisco. Even though I am a native San Franciscan (born and raised in the neighborhood of Noe Valley), I find new things out about my hometown all the time. Recently, as I was exploring the vibrant and diverse neighborhood of Yerba Buena in the heart of the city, I learned that San Francisco was once actually called Yerba Buena! San Francisco was originally named Yerba Buena after the aromatic herb (meaning "good herb" in Spanish) that grew abundantly in the area. The Spanish settlers used this wild mint for medicinal purposes and tea. Yerba Buena stands as a model for successful city renewal, transforming from an industrial area into a cultural hub. As I began to process this historical tidbit, I had to know more about how this came to be and how this fabulous neighborhood has always held a place in my heart. While I write this blog, I find myself thinking about the deep connection I feel for the Yerba Buena area. What is it that keeps me coming back and makes me gravitate to this hub in San Francisco? Surely it is the vibrancy and modernity of it, but it's more than that, it’s an area that is ever-changing to meet the needs of the community and visitors alike. The University of the Pacific Dental School , UC Law School (formerly known as Hastings Law School), the Moscone Center, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and countless Museums line the culturally studded streets. I could go on and on, citing many things to explore, shops to visit and restaurants to dine in. The area is filled with activity and flourishes with locals and visitors alike. If you want to learn more about the area, please check out the Yerba Buena Gardens website and the Perfect Day in Yerba Buena website . I found both sites to provide loads of valuable information. Going deeper however into my colorful childhood memories of growing up in San Francisco, I began to recall a festive rooftop carnival that my grandparents used to take my sister and I to with regularity. Yes, you read that right, a rooftop carnival in San Francisco. Those were the days! The building, called the Emporium Capwell Department Store, where the rooftop carnivals were held, was located at 835 Market Street, just between 4th and 5th Streets. This is the beginning of the area known today as Yerba Buena. The structure was designed by San Francisco architect Albert Pissis , one of the first Mexican born Americans to be trained at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. It withstood the 1906 earthquake, but was destroyed by the subsequent fire and rebuilt in 1908. Many additions and renovations were made in the decades following. In 1947, William H. Meyer, who began with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1919, founded Gold Coast Shows and opened his first rooftop attraction at the downtown San Francisco Emporium store.
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By Heather Stoltz March 27, 2025
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I’d love to own property in San Francisco, but it’s so unaffordable. We can help you! The Heather Stoltz team is solution oriented, experienced and can help you build a plan to make your dreams come true. WELCOME TO 2025, a New Year full of possibilities and purchase programs from our city that give you both a Below Market Rate Option, as well as our leading edge down payment program, for use in fair market purchases. How many of you have heard of the Below Market Rate (BMR) program that San Francisco offers? This program provides education and assistance for those seeking a home subject to BMR rules for those housing types. There is also the great program DALP, a down payment assistance program for fair market housing that is not required to be paid back until you sell. There are great programs also with additional funds for teachers, nurses, doctors and first responders, adding helpful funding to bridge the affordability gap. Click here to explore the BMR Program . Call us at 415-505-9581. We can help you navigate the process!
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