Things You'll Need:
- Internet Service Providers
- Computers
- Online Mortgage/finance Services
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Step 1
Determine your price range (see 'eHow to Determine How Big a Mortgage You Can Afford').
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Step 2
Decide on a location, which can be as specific as an address or as broad as your state of choice. A Web site may also ask you to search by ZIP code, region, city or neighborhood.
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Step 3
Decide on the property type and age of the home. For instance, do you want to live in a condominium, a co-op, or a single-family or multifamily home? Would you like to live in a home of a certain vintage, such as one built less than 5 years ago or more than 10 years ago?
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Step 4
Decide on a property size by number of rooms and bathrooms, as well as area in square feet.
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Step 5
Determine other features you want in your dream home, such as a swimming pool, fireplaces, a second story or a waterfront view.
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Step 6
Surf the Internet for sites that offer listings, such as Realtor.com - the site of the National Association of Realtors - and specific brokerages and agents in the area where you are hunting.
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Step 7
Enter the information from steps 1 through 5 as requested by the site.
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Step 8
Look at the expanded information and photographs for the properties that come up in your search results.
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Step 9
Contact the agent listed if you see a home that fits your criteria. Ask for further information, such as more photographs and the home's history.
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Step 10
Set up an appointment to meet with the agent if you are still interested.
Comments
ynohtna said
on 7/20/2009 Thanx for the tips! 5*
miraculouscoach said
on 6/18/2009 This article points out some good ways to get started on a house search and can be helpful to all parties, including a Realtor if one is chosen. Regarding the remark above concerning the listing agent being contractually bound to the seller, while that is true, we Realtors have a fiduciary responsibility to all parties to deliver ethical, fair service. And, of course, who doesn't want the buyer to someday become one of our "seller" clients. I have been a Realtor for over 25 years and sell 50% or more of my own listings and have made many a re-sale from the "first" buyer! Blessings, Les
Diablo2 said
on 6/4/2009 Very interesting read! 5 stars ;)
ebarmul said
on 10/30/2006 You can go to www.shopforahouseonline.com and get some really good info online
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 Use an online service to walk through homes in the area you are looking. It's a relatively new service, but in the San Francisco Bay Area it's great!
If you want to add your house to a listing, it's usually only $75 or so for 6 months.