An Efficient Approach to Home Buying

There are a lot of things to consider when searching for a new home. If you had to rank the below features from 1 to 10, how would you proceed?

1) Proximity to work
2) Quality of schools
3) Curb appeal
4) Floorplan
5) Energy efficiency
6) Quality of construction
7) Finish materials, i.e. countertops, flooring
8) Lot size
9) Price
10) Neighborhood amenities

If I asked 10 home buyers to do this exercise, I would most likely get 10 different rankings. And several would probably tell me that their most important priority is not even on the list! Or another might tell me each item is equally important. Everyone has different priorities. And an individual’s priorities can change as they go into different stages of life. So short of building a custom home on an ideal site in your preferred location, how do you get the home that has the most of what you are looking for?

Most folks these days start off with an internet search. HAR.com has the most comprehensive, up-to-date listings in our area. And almost every realtor’s website has the ability to tap into HAR.com. Even http://www.claudiahohlt.com/. An internet search can help you get started and give you a general idea of homes on the market. It can even help identify many of the features listed above. But at some point, you will want to personally visit homes that you are interested in. At that point, you have two options. You can call the listing agent for each home or call a buyer’s agent.

The listing agent would be more than happy to help you. After all, he/she wants to sell his/her client’s home. But if you end up viewing 10 homes before deciding, you will need to meet with 10 separate listing agents. That can be time-consuming and frustrating.

A more efficient approach would be to enlist the help of a buyer’s agent. You will then have only one point of contact who is working in your best interest. The buyer’s agent will make appointments for all homes that you have an interest and accompany you to each showing. The agent may even have some additional homes that match your criteria that you would want to view.

While viewing homes, an experienced buyer’s agent will offer valuable insight on your home search. He/she will have seen hundreds, if not thousands of homes over their career and can point out details, both good and bad, that you may not notice. The agent will have school information, pricing information and neighborhood information readily available. And the agent can chase down other information, such as POA info, utility info, etc. for you. And once you find your dream home, a buyer’s agent can work on your behalf to get you the best deal possible.

Another tidbit of advice would be to enlist the help of a buyer’s agent that has been in business for a long time in the area of your search. Any realtor holding a Texas license can represent you in anywhere in the state. But unless you’ve lived and practiced in the area of your interest, it will be much more difficult to find that perfect home. A local agent will have the knowledge and will be more likely to be available when you are.

Good luck on your search. And if you need assistance in my neck of the woods, i.e. Montgomery County, Texas, please give me a call. I would be pleased to help you.