Home Hunting Tips
Today, we’re offering some essential home hunting tips that can help streamline the process and save you time when searching for your ideal home. Whether you’re new to the market or it’s been a while since you purchased a home, leveraging technology through any connected device has made it easier than ever. But, without the right approach, you could end up spending more time than necessary. Don’t worry, though! The guidance provided here will ensure you use your time and efforts efficiently.
By being well-prepared, you can efficiently navigate MLS listings and be in a strong position to act quickly and confidently when you find your dream home. This approach helps you make a well-informed offer promptly, reducing stress and potentially securing your home at an optimal price.
ABR REALTORS® Matt & Meray Gregory
Call or Text us at 661-713-4799
Matt & Meray Gregory are both Brokers and REALTORS® at the Gregory Real Estate Group. When you’re ready to buy your home, contact us. There’s NEVER any sales pressure, whatsoever!
Your Local REALTORS®
DRE# 01463326
DRE# 01831112
ABR®, ABRM, SRES®
Begin Your Home Hunt
Suppose you’re ready to begin your house hunt. You’ve teamed up with us, obtained pre-approval for your mortgage, and downloaded our home search app onto your phone or tablet. With your strategy set, make sure to turn on notifications in the app. This way, you’ll receive alerts about new listings and price changes, but only for homes that fit within your price range and desired locations.
Maximize Time Spent Searching
Buyers often spend more time than necessary searching for homes.The approach we often use with our own clients focuses on quickly eliminating properties that don’t meet the criteria to avoid wasting time.
- When our clients find potential homes that match their criteria and send us their list, we review each property. To enhance efficiency and save time, we may contact the listing agent and even visit some homes in advance to ensure they meet the criteria.
- After vetting the properties, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each home with our clients. Together, we collaboratively eliminate the homes that do not meet the desired standards.
- The next step is to arrange viewings for the homes that best match the criteria. If the home is a highly sought-after new listing, we’ll need to act swiftly. The desirability of the property dictates the urgency with which buyers must respond.
- Don’t be discouraged if you don’t find your dream home right away. It’s common for buyers to explore multiple properties before finding the perfect fit.
IMPORTANT TIME SAVING NOTE: If you are using our home search mobile app for your search, it has a feature enabling you to easily communicate directly with us and we will automatically know of the listing you are interested in.
Trust Your Home Hunting Process
The process described is repeated until you find that one perfect home. Remember, there’s no need to constantly check the MLS yourself. Trust your agent and your home search tools instead. Rest assured, you will be alerted to any new listings or price adjustments. Sometimes, homes that were previously out of reach due to price may drop into your range, or properties that were sold can come back on the market.
What are Pocket Listings?
We continuously tap into our network to identify homes before they’re publicly listed, often referred to as “Pocket Listings.” When a home is about to be listed, there’s usually a brief period before it appears on the MLS, and these sought-after properties can sell during this window.
This underscores the importance of working with a well-respected agent. Some listing agents prefer collaborating with familiar, reputable agents. This is one reason we recommend choosing a Realtor with an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) designation, as they are recognized for their experience and professionalism, benefiting buyers significantly.
Six Tips for Your Home Hunt Journey
- If possible, make advance preparations with your employer so you’ll be able to leave work early to view a home. You would only do this if a hot listing comes on the market
- If you have children, decide if you are going to take them with you when viewing homes. If so, be sure to keep a few toys or games to help keep them occupied. Here’s a link to a post we published some time back about tips on taking the kids house hunting.
- Take photos and notes during viewings to help with decision-making later on.
- Don’t waste time driving around searching for homes with a for sale sign. Most listing agents leave the signs up long after the home has already been spoken for.
- When attending open houses, provide our business card to the host and refrain from signing in on any lists.
- Do not visit or sign in new developments for the first time without us. Once you do, if you sign in in person or online, we can no longer represent you with your sale. You will be stuck with representation from the SELLERS. I don’t know about you, but I would NOT want my best interests being looked after from the person I’m buying from.
Once you’ve submitted an offer to buy, don’t disregard your home search notifications. There’s still a chance your will be rejected and the home hunt must continue. Don’t be discouraged! Just keep moving forward until the process is complete.
We hope you found our home hunting tips helpful and provide you with a less stressful and more successful home hunt.