Mortgage Information from HUD
Mortgage Planning Help
Home Buyer's Guide Step 4
Search and Visit Houses
Now that you’ve entered an agreement with a real estate agent and completed your mortgage planning, you’re prepared to search and visit houses. Shopping for a home can take quite a bit of time, but there are simple tips for home buyers to streamline the process.
Save Time and Money As You Shop for a Home
Here’s where your real estate agent can save you time and money. Depending on your agreement, your buyer’s agent may offer to do most of the legwork for you, including:
- Sending you listings of houses for sale that meet your requirements. A good agent will search the multi-list service (MLS) for your local real estate market. The MLS listings can be the key to finding houses for sale as soon as they come onto market.
- Calling listing agents to determine the availability of houses for sale. You’ll save time by avoiding houses that already have multiple offers on the table.
- Notifying you of open houses.
- Scheduling appointments for home showings.
Some agents may even offer to drive you to and from the houses on your wish list. Good communication with your real estate agent is critical to your home shopping success. If you feel that you are not meeting your goals, talk to your agent about sharpening the focus of your search or increasing the frequency of how you communicate.
NEXT STEP: Make the Right Offer
- Pay less money for more home!
- Learn how your agent can help you succeed.
