The most important aspect of your home search will depend on your ability to clearly state your needs and wants to your agent.
Your agent’s goal is to find the houses that most closely fit your needs in order to limit the time needed to complete your search and get you settled into your new home with as little stress as possible.
I remind all of my clients that the homes we will be seeing are not my home. I did not decorate them and the more honest they can be with me about what they like or don’t like about a house makes it much more likely that I will be able to find them the perfect home in a timely fashion.
So, be completely honest with your agent about what you need and what you want. It will save you a lot of time in the long run and certainly reduce the stress level of all parties.
Finding your ideal home
The next thing you need to do is be completely honest with yourself. During your search, you may find that some of the things that you thought you couldn’t live without might turn into things you can actually do without. Sometimes your ‘wants’ simply go beyond your budget. Your ‘wants’ can be a good starting point, but expect your wish list to change during the time that you are looking for houses with your agent.
You will also want to determine where you need to be. This may be limited by choice of a specific school district or your proximity to work.If commute is an issue, I suggest that you determine the maximum distance you are willing to drive and limit your search to those communities.