Would you believe me if I told you that the average home buyer will look at about 8 homes in person prior to placing an offer on one? That doesn't seem like very many, does it? If you have been thorough in hiring the right Real Estate Agent, they will be able to pinpoint what you are looking for and narrow your search enough that you are not being shown homes that don't meet your needs. Your Realtor can also set up a customized search on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that will automatically send you homes every day that meet your desires. From that, you can view tax information, HOA fees, pictures, descriptions, and a map of exactly where the home is located. You are able to virtually look at homes of interest and hand pick the ones you want to see in person. By the time you have sifted through what the market's inventory is, you can really weed out the homes that don't live up to your needs and only focus on those gems that do.
*A word to the wise* Some sites are far better than others when it comes to being a helpful tool for home buyers to search for available homes. You will want to make sure that the information the websites contain is up-to-date and accurate based on the information that is on the MLS. If you are unsure of which site to use, feel free to download my free app to search for homes. This app pulls information directly from the MLS and is updated in real time, and the GPS in your phone will pick up where you are and show you homes near you that are for sale. Here is the link- http://app.kw.com/KW28G4CLA/.
The home buying experience can easily get very overwhelming when buyers insist on seeing every home available that meets some of their needs but not all. Houses start to run together in your mind making it difficult to remember which one had that beautiful fireplace as opposed to the hideous master bathroom, energy starts to run low, and the process becomes very tedious. Don't do that to yourself! If you stick to your priorities and only visit homes that truly give you what you are looking for, the house will sell itself instantly when you cross the threshold because you will feel at home. You will get that feeling of "this is the one" and can confidently move forward knowing that it also meets all of your requirements since you didn't bother seeing homes that fell short of your needs.
Your current local market will dictate when the best time to start looking for homes would be based on when you would like to be moved in by. In a hot market like we have in Orlando at the moment, it is advised to start looking at homes about 3 months prior to wanting to be moved into a home by. This is because the houses are being sold relatively quickly after being put on the market, so it would not be worth spending your valuable time viewing homes now when you are not ready to move in until October because the homes that are available now will likely not be available in October. Your Real Estate Professional will be able to give you a better idea of timing. Until then, it is a good idea (and fun!) to virtually look at homes so you can familiarize yourself with what is available in what areas at what price point. This will better prepare you for when it is time to start your house hunt.
Don't have a Realtor yet? Not a problem! I can help you find one. Comment below where you are looking to buy or email me at jackievoigt@kw.com and I will research Realtors in your area to make sure you are set up with the best of the best. After all, a house is probably the most expensive thing you will ever buy, right?
Happy Hunting!
