The buyer’s world these days begins with the Internet. It’s frequently the case that would-be buyers look at hundreds of houses online before visiting a single one in person.
This way of looking at what’s out there can be a great thing allowing quick comparison of bedroom counts, styles, neighborhoods and prices. But if there is a chance you’ll want to actually buy a house anytime soon, you need to do some prep.
Look at our newspaper column #617 Buying a house: a clip-and-save guide. (See Newspaper Archives on this site.) You’ll see what we think are the most important steps to take before buying.
Our suggestion is to put off looking at houses until Step 4. Before that, Think about buying (Step 1); Select your agent (Step 2) and address money (Step 3).
So, go to the Internet. You can sign up to have specific new listings emailed to you. Enjoy looking at houses online. If you have questions about anything at all – how long a house has been on the market, if there are offers already, what’s on the termite report – let us know and we’ll find out.
Visit open houses on Sundays or on days when houses are open for agents (we can email you the list). Zero in on what you would like to buy. But meanwhile, find out for sure what you are able to buy. Online preapprovals aren’t enough. When you make an offer to buy, you’ll need a pre-approval letter from a real, live, respected loan broker.
Pat Talbert & Anet Tarpoff
Real, live, respected, local agents