“Chance favors the prepared mind” is a true saying…and preparation is a perfect way to start your search process…you never know when that perfect home will turn up…and you want to be ready.

Many folks live by lists…and others hate even the thought of a list…but when you’re talking about the single largest purchase most of us ever make it’s incredibly important to do at least a little mental planning!

I get to see LOTS of people go through the buying process…here are a few time savers and tips that will help you focus your attention on the homes that will work for you…and quickly eliminate the ones that don’t fit:

• Make a list of features that you “must have” or “can’t stand”…use as many items as you like…just write as they come to mind…then go back and rank each…on a +10 to -10 scale…organize your list into two columns…and list the items from highest to lowest value in each column….this is very important!
• Make a list of neighborhoods…just like the features list…and drive through each of your top areas at two or three different times during a week…there are things about an area you can’t learn with just one viewing…you will be living there a long time…invest your time in the search and you will be rewarded!
• Keep a folder or journal of the homes/areas you visit…take notes and pictures as you visit…compare the features of each home to your feature list…and here is the hard part…go back at least once a week and review these notes.
• Print photos of the best homes and stick them up on a wall where you can see them daily…write notes on the prints…no home is “perfect” so these these visual reminders will make it lots easier to decide when you have found the “right” home!

If you can incorporate these ideas into your search for a home you will undoubteldy save time…and have a better chance of getting a home you really like…in the long term!

Now that you know what to look for you’re ready to start thinking about the process of Successfully Negotiating with the seller to get the best deal!

P.S….Please take advantage of my MLS search feature…this tool is the best in the business and will put all the information about available homes at your fingertips!