Not so long ago searching for the perfect home was both much easier and much more difficult. It was fast because your only resources were realtors’ brochures and the classifieds and, of course, driving around neighborhoods looking for for-sale signs. Not much to it really, but you were pretty limited and had no way of finding all the homes for sale that might appeal to you. Today, though, you have a multitude of online tools to help you search for that perfect home. But that also means you have a host of possibilities to sort through now. To help you help out, we’ve distilled it to its essence. Here’s how to find the perfect Atlanta home .
Determine What Your “Perfect Home” Really Is
Before you ever begin searching and house hunting, you have to know exactly what you’re looking for. You can, then, make finding the perfect Atlanta home much easier by first doing these things:
- Determine what your perfect home looks like. Make a list of all the feature you have to have, as well as the features you would like to have but really aren’t all that important. Write a brief description of what the home looks like, where it is located, and the personality of the neighborhood. After you figure out exactly what you want, you will know it when you see it.
- Figure out your budget – precisely. Your perfect home is also one that you can afford. In addition to the purchase price, be sure to factor in taxes, insurance, and maintenance/repair expenses.
- Also, think about the size of home that will actually suit you. Bigger isn’t always better because, for one thing, bigger can be a lot more expensive.
- Determine how much fixing up you’re willing to do. You may be able to afford something closer to your dream if it needs a little fixing up. How far are you willing to go in that direction?
Check the Home’s History
Choosing a home is a lot like picking a spouse – you will have to live with your decision for a long time. So finding the perfect Atlanta home also means digging into the history. The things you will need to investigate include:
- How long and how often the home has been on the market
- Price changes since the seller first listed the home
- Number and frequency of foreclosures in the area
- How much you will have to pay in property taxes and how often and how much they have increased
- How many and how often have neighboring homes sold
All these things will help you determine whether that seeming dream home really is what it appears to be.
Investigate the Neighborhood
No matter how appealing the home itself is, it won’t be your dream home if it’s in a lousy neighborhood. A good neighborhood will have, at a minimum, good people, good schools, plenty of amenities, and a low crime rate. Your agent can help you use the heat map feature of the MLS to see how neighborhoods compare with respect to schools, crime rates, and access to public transportation.
Use a Good Agent
You can, of course, search for your perfect {market_city] home all on your own, but using a good agent will greatly increase your chances of finding what you need and want within your price range.