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Buying : Steps 3 & 4
Neighborhood Information - Home Search
#3 Neighborhood Information
Now that you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to spend, it's time to look at some houses! Well, not just yet. Step back for a moment and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house, they buy the neighborhood the house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was in a neighborhood that was not to your liking, would you make an offer on it? Most likely the answer would be, "No."
So, you will need to make another list of what type of neighborhood you want to live in. You will most likely want to consider things like how living in the neighborhood will effect your drive time to and from work, what amenities are offered (swimming pool, tennis courts, park, etc.), and, if you have children who are attending school or soon will be, what school district you will be in and how close the schools are. You may even want to make two lists just like you did with your home criteria.
Your agent can save you time and money by taking the information from your list of needs and wants for your home, your preapproval, and your list of needs and wants for the neighborhood and incorporating them into a broad search profile which will then be narrowed down to specific areas dictated by the market in which you will be looking. Your agent's experience in the local market will be an invaluable resource during this step.
#4 Home Search
There are a few ways to go about doing this. You can access local publications highlighting available real estate in the area, you can contact local Neighborhood Associations, visit the local Chamber of Commerce, look on the Internet, and you can even drive through neighborhoods that you feel would meet your needs. Driving around a particular area looking for a home that is for sale is good because you can actually see the house, but it can be very time consuming and very "hit or miss."
Your agent can save you time and money by keeping up-to-date on available properties that possibly meet your criteria and your agent will screen these properties for you. You can eliminate the haphazard searching through papers and the Internet and let the listings come to you through your agent. Then, when you find one that you like, your agent can arrange for you to walk through the property when it is convenient for you.
Continue to Buying Steps 5 & 6
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