Once you’ve determined that you’re ready to buy, and you have completed your pre approval process it’s time to begin thinking about where you want to look. You’ll find there are many questions you must answer about the type of house you want to purchase. For example, are you interested in an older home or a new one? How big of a home do you need? Would you like to move closer to certain major roads or freeways? Our agents can answer many questions about the homes and communities you’re considering, like recent sold comps and what the local tax rate is or how much the Home Owners Association is and what it covers. We have provided you in Step 3 of our home buying process some amazing resources to begin your home search!

Location, Location, Location

Do you want to live in a particular zip code or neighborhood? As a parent, you’re probably considering school districts and other child-friendly options like the proximity to parks and recreational areas. If you’re relocating to an unfamiliar area, we can help provide you detailed information and statistics about a community. It’s a good idea to investigate crime statistics per neighborhood when you’re narrowing down the areas of your home search.

Or perhaps location is the reason why you’re buying in the first place — to move closer to your work, your spouse’s work or your extended family, or to live within a particular school district’s zone. As you’re probably aware, the location of your home can have a dramatic effect on its price.

Size is important

You may be experiencing lack of space and storage in your current home, which prompted you to pursue buying a new bigger home. Or you’re entering a self-employed profession and need a home office. Consider all your space requirements before you start searching for a new home. There’s no reason to waste time looking at two-bedroom condos when you really need a four-bedroom house.

Home search advantage

Once you’ve narrowed down the specifics of your ideal home, where do you find listings? Almost every major site or company that provide you access to search the MLS, pull data from the same server or data management system. So, that when you type in your criteria it generates you a list of homes that may or may not match what you’re looking for. We have also provided you in Step 3 a way to freely access the MLS to search for listings like the other companies, but we offer an amazing feature that sets us apart. This feature called “Client Gateway” will put you on the front line and will give you an advantage over other buyers who may have their eyes on the same property you want. We set up for you a special Gateway linked to your e-mail that will send you properties that match your criteria. The gateway we set up for you will even include Pre-foreclosures, Bank Owned and Below Market Fixer Uppers!