Searching for a home might feel overwhelming. But it's not as big a job as it seems. I hear stories about people who spent months looking for their last house, because every one was so different! But it doesn't have to take that long. The first step is to choose a location, and then finding a home is usually a matter of course. This may sound incredible, but I've done it a hundred times now, and I assure you, it just isn't that hard to find a house once you've narrowed it down. But first, there's something you need to understand.

Consider the three boxes above. All of your housing requirements fall into one of these three boxes.

PRICE questions include:

How much down payment do I need?
What are the closing costs?
What is the asking price of the house?
What are the homeowner fees?
What would my monthly payment be?

Here are some typical LOCATION questions:

Do I like the neighborhood?
How long of a commute is it to my work?
How are the schools?
What size lot is it?

Then there are requirements about the HOUSE itself:

How many bedrooms and baths does it have?
How many square feet?
Is it one or two story?
Does it have the amenities I want (air conditioning, pool, etc.)?
When was the house built?

OK, now here's the point you have to get firmly in your mind:

You can have any two boxes you want,  but you can't have all three.

Sometimes when I hear what people want and for what price, I have to tell them it's impossible! Something has to give, either the house or the location or the price. You see, if money's no object, you can have whatever house you want, wherever you want it.  But if you have a price limit, then you have to say to your agent: "This is the kind of house I want, and at this price, now tell me where I can get it."  Or, you can say "I want to live in this area because of (fill in the blank), now find me the best house you can for my price."  When you can say one of those two statements, then you're ready to go house hunting.

Once you decide whether the house or the location is most important, the search becomes very manageable. With our market knowledge and computers we can select the properties that match what you're looking for, and most likely see them all in one or two days.  Use my website MLS search function to preview homes that fall into your specs.  Our MLS system is updated daily and will have every house for sale by every broker.  Then, call me at 410-267-1747 and set up an appointment for our Buyer Consultation Program.  Let's go find your next home!