First-time Home Buyer in Montreal? Start With a Plan, Not a Property
BY BRIDGE HENNESSEY

Having the down payment is a great start. But before we talk about buying a property, let’s talk about the life you want to build. The goal isn’t just to buy real estate. It’s to buy real estate that fits your vision.

Why work with a coach first?

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Your mortgage specialist helps you understand your financing options. Your real estate broker helps you find and buy a property. Choose that person for their qualifications and knowledge of the neighbourhood, not simply because they’re family or a friend.

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My role as your coach is different: to help you define your vision, challenge your assumptions and understand the commitments before you sign. We work through your budget, your lifestyle and your next chapter. Not to push you toward a purchase. To help you make a decision you can live with.

Your life first. The property second.

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Together we will ask questions like these:

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Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? Ten?

A partner? Children? A career change? A move?

Do you want a home, rental income, a renovation project, or a combination?

A duplex or triplex could be an option. Live in one unit and rent the others. But do you want to be a landlord?

And if you outgrow your apartment, what happens next? Sell? Keep it and buy another home? Could you save another down payment? Would your income and equity support that next purchase?

We’re not just planning your first purchase. We’re thinking about your next chapter.

Test the neighbourhood. Not just the property.

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Go there. Park. Walk around.

Check the stores, schools, parks and services you actually need.

Then drive to work at the exact time you would normally leave.

Not on Sunday afternoon. During your real commute.

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If a better location costs $75,000 more but gives you hours of your life back every week, what is that worth to you?

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Know what you’re willing to take on.

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Want a fixer-upper? What can you do yourself? What will you hire out? How much time, money and patience do you have?

Want something move-in ready? That convenience has a price, too.

At Hennessey, we have a network of contractors offering preferred member rates, so we can put real numbers beside the work you’re considering.

Keep money for life after the purchase.

The down payment is only the beginning.

What’s left for closing costs, taxes, insurance, maintenance and surprise repairs?

If you have tenants, can you manage a period without rental income?

And after paying for everything, can you still save and enjoy your life?

That’s why we start with a conversation, not a listing.

Your life. Your priorities. Your numbers.

Then we find the property.

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Book a conversation and let's build your plan before you start shopping