How to Find the Perfect Home

The home of your dreams may well be within your reach. Here's how to shop for a home that suits you - and your budget.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Maps
• Notebooks And Pen
• Pens
• Online Mortgage/finance Services

1. Get prequalified for a home loan. There's no sense in looking at homes you can't afford. Find your price range and stay within it.
2. Write down the features you require in a home, such as number of bedrooms and bathrooms, garage, formal dining room, family room and living room or great room, and the size of yard. These should be the items you absolutely cannot live without.
3. Make a list of your preferences, such as the number of stories, the age of the home and amenities such as a pool or fireplace. These are the things that would be nice to have, but are not requirements.
4. Think carefully about what neighborhoods you like. It is preferable to buy a home that is in an up-and-coming or well-cared-for area. Homes in areas that are declining may lose value and never recover.
5. Consider the crime rate and local crime statistics. Go to the local police or sheriff's department. These offices should have a board that pinpoints crimes that have taken place in your area.
6. See as many different homes in your price range as you can, either on your own or with a real estate agent. With each home you see, write down as many features and important items as necessary to help you remember the home. Consider how your belongings will look in each home. Will your furniture match or blend with the style and layout of the home? Or will you have to spend money on new furniture?
7. Take the plunge. There's nothing as rewarding as having the perfect home.

Tips & Warnings

• Be prepared to lose out on a few homes. Don't get discouraged if you don't get the first home you decide you like. The process of buying a home is complicated and doesn't always work out the first time.
• Homes for sale in the fall and winter tend to sell more slowly, thus giving the buyer more time to do research and contemplate a decision.
• Learn to look beyond the owner's belongings and decorations. Sometimes it's difficult to see past what is in the home. Remember, you're buying the home, not what's in it.
• Take a video of the homes you really like. (Ask the seller for permission first!) This will allow you to review the home as many times as you like.
• In a hot market, homes will sell very fast and you may not have the luxury of thinking about a purchase decision. It may be gone by the time you decide.
• Buying a home is probably the biggest investment you'll ever make. Choose wisely.