your home search

There are a lot of things to think about when buying a home, but before you even start looking the most important question is what are the most important factors to you when you are looking for a home to buy? It will help make your home search more specific to you and your wants and needs.

So how do you start?

Look at your current living space and start a list. Write down what you like about it and what you don’t. Is the space too small? Find out the square footage of living space and then you know you your starting point for bigger. Are there enough bedrooms? If not, how many more or less do you need?

If your current home or apartment has a great functioning kitchen, write down what you use the most. If not, go to a home center and look at kitchen options to see what would work for you and what won’t. Just because it’s the “in” thing doesn’t mean it will be something you like or would use.

Think about what is surrounding your current home

Is there a big lot or no lot at all? What about how close you are to the water? Is waterfront property important or do you mind a short walk, bike ride or car ride? Is there shopping close by? What about fitness centers? Schools?

All of these things are key factors for someone, but are they for you? Your answers to these will determine neighborhoods to visit and find a home or neighborhoods to avoid.

HOA’s

Also keep things in mind like home owner’s associations! If they are important to you to keep the integrity and value of your home, look for homes in one. If they are too much of a restriction for your lifestyle, or too much more of a fee to add to your budget, look for homes that don’t have a home owner’s association.

Know what you want so you can set expectations and narrow your home search.

The common “wisdom” these days is that everyone searches for their new home online. Sites like Zillow or Trulia make your home search a snap. Easy to use websites and even apps for your smartphone. Mortgage payment estimates right by the listing. Now you just know you can afford that dream home. So if it’s so easy, why not? Why not indeed.

First, Zillow and Trulia are now the same company. Realtor.com has become so expensive that many Realtors don’t use it. There are other reasons why many Realtors are opting out of national sites, reasons that confuse buyers and hurt sellers.

First, none of those sites are part of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). MLS is the most up to date place for any and all real estate listings. The Zillow/Trulia/Realtor.com listings (or “aggregator sites”) get their information from other websites or by what is input by homeowners or other agents. The problem with that is that listings on them are often out of date. A property may sell or the listing expire, or a pricing change in a property happens and the aggregate listings are not updated.

Another problem? Aggregate sites allow any agent who is willing to pay a fee have their name and photo appear next to any listing in a given region. The prospective buyer may think they are the listing agent, when in reality they know little to nothing about it.

More things that are inaccurate on the aggregate sites? Wrong pictures with listings, duplicate listings with different prices and agents listed. Speaking of pricing, those fabulous tools to figure out if you can afford that fabulous home? Often very wrong.

Finding a house to buy and make a home means setting your heart on it. Relying on aggregate sites, instead of starting your search with a local agent who knows the area, issues and homes for sale will lead to heartache, not home buying bliss.