Looking at Houses & Visiting Homes

After you have spent some time online searching for that dream home, digesting the details and perusing photos of homes for sale that fit your list of wants, you will probably be anxious to look at the homes in person and view some open houses. So how do you tackle the next step?

There are a few ways you can approach the process of looking at homes, but we recommend that after you get pre-qualified for a loan amount you sit down to discuss your home requirements and price range with your Realtor. Be sure to tell your Realtor about anything you feel you must have (like two bathrooms, a big back yard or a certain school district) and then add anything that would be nice to have in your new home (like two sinks in the master bath). Your agent will conduct a search and provided you with a list of real estate listings that best fit your criteria and your price point; complete with home details, photos, and street addresses.

Some details you may learn about each listing might include if it is a foreclosed home, a home for sale by owner, the length of time the property has been on the market, the age of the home, or if it is new construction home. These extra details may help you narrow down the list further before you move on to the next step... looking at the home.

Looking at the Home

After you get a few good options of properties for sale in hand, it is often best to check out the neighborhoods, the properties’ lots and the general appearance of the outside of each home before you schedule a time to look at the homes with your agent. Although you may want to view the inside no matter what your thoughts are about a home’s curb appeal, some properties may be a definite “no” from the moment you see them. So drive by the property and give each home the benefit of the doubt. Foreclosures for sale may not show the level of upkeep from the curb that attracts you, but if it is small stuff needed; like cutting the grass and some touch up paint on the trim, it may well be worth a look inside. Don’t always judge a book by its cover, but cut those from your list that you would never consider.

If the listing is a new home for sale, be prepared that the landscaping may not be filled in or lush because it too is new and the lawn may be a work in progress. If the home is to-be-built you may just be looking at the home's lot. Your mission is to decide if this is the land and neighborhood where you can see yourself building a home.

Visiting the House

Once you have completed the drive-by for each property on your list, it is time to set up showings of the homes you wish to go see with your agent. Your Realtor may be able to schedule a few back-to back to save time and allow you to make instant comparisons. Most of the time the home owner will not be home so you can express your likes and dislikes to your agent as you view the home. If the home is not the one for you, let your agent know what you like about the property as well as what misses the mark of approval. This will help your agent if they need to do another search for additional homes for you to see. The more your agent knows about what you want in a property the more they can narrow down the search to finding your dream home.