Nationwide Home Mortgage Loan Company

One of the first things you must do when you’re beginning a new home search is to choose the area where you want to live. Choosing between a smaller home in a more affluent area, a bigger home in a more working-class neighborhood, or building new is not always an easy decision. If you’re in this situation, start by examining your priorities and asking yourself the following questions…

Is the surrounding neighborhood or the home itself the most important consideration?

Are both neighborhoods safe?

Is the quality of the schools an issue what are the elementary school ratings?

Does either area have more families with kids or adult residents?

Does either house need more home maintenance or improvements than the other?

Is the area zoned all residential, or does it include commercial or industrial?

How far is the area from your job — is commuting an issue?

For parents, is the area child friendly? (Sidewalks, safe playgrounds, etc.)

How to Access Listings of Houses for Sale

Somewhere out there is a seller who wants to sell his or her home as badly as you want to buy one. This means you can count on homes being advertised in at least a few places. Here are the best ways to look for up-to-date information on homes for sale:

Read the local newspaper, especially the Sunday edition. Check the classified sections of various newspapers. If you’re focused on a particular neighborhood, find out whether that neighborhood has a community newspaper with real estate listings. Many newspapers also post their classified sections online.

Use the Internet.
home buyers, complete with color photos and even the occasional virtual tour. Many websites draw from the same resource, namely a database of home listings known as the multiple listing service (MLS). Each site’s presentation and ease of use is different though, so you’ll want to check around for the site you like best. On most sites you can search home listings based on criteria such as location, price, and number of bedrooms.

Another option is to check the websites of major real estate companies such as Re/Max, Coldwell Banker, and Prudential. Although they may have fewer listings, sometimes including only those listings held by their own company, they sometimes do a more thorough job of describing the house, complete with exterior and interior photos. When you see a home that interests you, either make an appointment to see it or check whether an open house has been scheduled.

Decide What You Want Most in a House

After you’ve begun surveying the territory, and perhaps experienced a reality check regarding what you can afford, create your personalized “ideal house profile.” Simply write down possible home features according to three categories:

Features that you can’t live without, such as a good school district, check elementary school ratings make sure there are no difficult stairs to climb, or space to grow vegetables.

Features that you hope for in a house, but that aren’t crucial to your decision, such as a fireplace, a separate laundry room, and walking distance to a coffee shop.

Features that are “absolute no ways,” meaning that you know you’ll forever be sorry if you buy a house that has them: These tend to be location problems, such as at the top of a hill, in a flood zone, in a lousy school district, or in a high-crime or noise area.

Tags: class neighborhood, FHA Mortgages, Home Purchasing, internet home buyers, Mortgage Tips, new home search

This entry was posted on: Saturday, March 15th, 2008
Other Categories: Home Purchase
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