10 Steps:
1) Define Needs
2) Pre-Qualify
3) Local Info
4) Home Search
5) Make Offer
6) Negotiate
7) Vendors
8)
Pre-Close
9) Close
10) Post-Close
| 3. Gather Local Information
Now that
you have your list of needs and wants and you know how much you can afford to
spend, it's time to look at some houses! Not just yet. Step back for a moment
and consider the larger picture. People don't just buy a house; they buy the neighborhood
the house is in. Think about that...if you found the perfect house but it was
in a neighborhood that wasn't to your liking, would you make an offer on it? Most
likely the answer would be, "No." So, you will need to make another
list of what type of neighborhood you want to live in. You will most likely want
to consider things like how living in the neighborhood will affect your drive
time to and from work, what amenities are offered (swimming pool, tennis courts,
park, etc.), and, if you have children who are attending school or soon will be,
what school district you will be in and how close the schools are. You may even
want to make two lists just as you did with your home criteria. Your real
estate agent can help you consolidate the information from your list of needs
and wants for your home, your preapproval, and your list of needs and wants for
the neighborhood. From this, you can incorporate this information into a broad
search profile, which will then be narrowed down to specific areas dictated by
the market in which you will be looking. Your agent's experience in local markets
will be an invaluable resource during this step.
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