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Making the Search Easy

Location, location, location...

To reduce the number of homes that you visit, you should begin by deciding what factors are important to you, such as the approximate cost of the home and the location, and

then you can begin to determine more specific details, such as the neighborhood, the characteristics of the home, and the type of dwelling (i.e., condominium, town home, or traditional single-family home). The location is the factor that most affects the value of the home. The majority of homebuyers are prepared to sacrifice certain characteristics and preferences of their home, in order to be able to purchase a home in the area or neighborhood that they most prefer. This is a very important insight, because you can almost always make some adjustment or do some remodeling, such as adding another room or putting a pool in the backyard, to have everything you desire in your home. But once you have moved into your home, it does not matter how many improvements you make, you will not be able to move this home from the city to the suburbs, or from the west side to the east side of the city!

What should I look for in my neighborhood?

Here is a list of the top seven questions potential buyers ask about a neighborhood:?

1) Does it have good schools?

2) Is it a nice neighborhood?

3) Is it in a good shopping district?

4) Is it near my/my spouse´s office/work location?

5) Is it near my/my spouse´s family and friends?

6) Does it have a low crime index/how safe is it?

7) Is it close to parks and recreation areas?


What should I look for in a home?

Before you begin searching for a home, it is important that you decide what characteristics you want in your home. Use this handy Evaluation Chart to note down the desired characteristics of your dream home, and use it to evaluate how the different homes you look at meet your desires. Make several copies of the chart and carry them with you as you search for the ideal home, keeping in mind which characteristics you consider essential in the home you purchase. If you fill in the information as you look at homes, you will be able to remember the pluses and minuses of the different homes you see, and evaluate the homes fairly, using the same criteria regardless of when you see them.

Suggestions for evaluating the homes you see

Once you have decided which characteristics you want your dream home to have, and in which neighborhoods you are interested in living, you should begin to view homes for sale with your real estate agent. During this period, it is important that you make a thorough evaluation of the properties you visit.

Get accustomed to viewing properties with a critical eye. Inspect each home thoroughly, making sure you look at and evaluate each area that you consider important in your home. Feel free to take pictures or video so that you can remember what you liked or disliked in each home, and make sure that you keep notes on your Evaluation Chart.

* This data provided as a courtesy from a recent study. Source: American Diary Association