How to Efficiently Shop for Your Next Home

Valley Wide Homes Real Estate Podcast with Craig Barton

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How can you effectively and efficiently shop for your next home? After getting pre-approved, you can shop with confidence. However, there are a few questions to ask yourself before browsing listings.

• What is your criteria?
• What are you looking for in a home?
• Is location important?
• How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?
• What are your square footage requirements?

There are plenty of resources out there to get these questions answered. For instance, it doesn’t hurt to spend a Sunday afternoon driving through your prospective neighborhood. Although it isn’t the most efficient way, calling Realtors directly off signs you pass by could help begin your search. However, this way could be expensive with the rising cost of gas.

Most people begin searching online. Often, they utilize services like Zillow among others. Prospective buyers might even use a Realtor’s website, which I highly recommend. Your Realtor's website will have a live feed to multiple active listings. Other websites will only give you a snapshot in time, but won’t update their service if a listing has sold. We sometimes receive calls from clients about a listing on Zillow that already sold.

Ensure your Realtor helps you identify if the market is in favor of buyers or sellers. It’s important to understand the dynamics of the market, especially when making an offer to a seller. A seller’s market means low inventory and less competition. A buyer’s market means high inventory and more competition.

Lastly, never write an offer until you see a market analysis from your agent. Don’t assume the seller has priced their home based upon current market dynamics.

If you have any real estate or mortgage related questions, reach out today! We're always here to be your real estate resource.