So what should you look for when buying a house?

An important thing to watch for is the type of place the house is in. Make sure the area is practical and has a nice atmosphere. You can change what your house is like, but you can't change the people around it. It's a good idea to spend a few days in the town you are considering moving to just to see if it's the right place for you.

First and most important is the price. Make sure it fits your budget. Then of course, make sure you have enough bedrooms and bathrooms. Then look for good structre, make sure the roof is good, central AC etc.

I often advise friends and clients to drive through a neighborhood at night. Most people have a primary concern about safey, once money is no longer a factor. If you drive around at night, you get a sense of what happens when the worst elements in every neighborhood come out. If you are comfortable at night, knowing you will have to come home everyday to the same place, you can increase the comforts in other areas. What is the purpose of the home you are looking for? Do you plan to live there long term? Are you planning on raising children? If so, the schools in the neighborhood would also have some concern to you. Do you plan to not have children, but want to live in a place where there are lots of shops and restaurants? Are you looking for a place near public transportation or within easy commute to work, or to grocery shopping? Make a list of things that are important to you. Make sure you prioritize them. As there is no perfect home, you will be able to make sacrifices as the time comes.

neighbours are important too. i have a friend that mooved threee times becuse of the neighbours. it is easy when you leave in ahouse but you stil have contact with the. you must have someone to talk to sometimes

The old adage: "Location, location, location!" You can change anything to a house except its address. The location is a big indicator of housing prices. A little 1-bedroom shack in a prestigious neighborhood will cost you more than a mansion in a depressed neighborhood. So research on the area that you want to move to first. Check out the neighborhood and the schools. Even if you don't have kids and schools are not important to you, being in a good school district will also determine the desirability of the home. Check the crime statistics. Check the city ordinances if you can (eg. you don't want to find out that the city is going to build a dump down the street the month after you move!). Once you find several neighborhoods that pass your tests, then look for homes in those neighborhoods. Don't fall in love with a photo before you do your homework!

The best way to search for a house online is to search the MLS listing for your county. But if you want to find the best deal, you are better off driving around town and looking for houses that are for sale by owner. You are more likely to find someone who will work with you and your situation. Maybe even find a lease purchase deal.

i am in the middle of trying to find a house to buy as well... so i really understand your frustuation... for me, i will try to find a house that fits my budget first and then location... location is very very important as we want to preserve the value of the house when we try to sell it a few years later (or even increase it)... at the moment, i haven't been able to find a house with the right combination of the price and location yet... i wish you good luck and please don't be rush as this will be the biggest purchase in your life... do your homework first before deciding which property to buy... :-)

Congrats on your Plan to start looking now is certainly the time. My Hubby and I are both Realtors. We have a website that offers Buying tips and what to look for, if your interested please leave me a message and I will be happy to give it to you. Make sure you ask all the pertinent questions. make sure you know the Tax rate, school district, are there Bonds, or Mello Rouse? Look at structural things, klook for termite damage, mold, windows that are lose or not sealed well. Check the heater and water heater areas for leaking or rust etc. There are lots of things to consider but we believe that there is a special house for everyone and you will know it when you see it. DOn't be so entralled with the decorating, or style that you overlook the obvious. Happy to help if I can anytime. Good Luck and Good Hunting,

The environtment's infrastructure of that house, like road, electrical, lamp, water, phone line. The structure's quality of the building, administration (letters) of that house and the price :). they are some criteria that you should to ask.

I would look at the demographic statistics for the area--what's the median income for the area, how many schools, how many apartments versus homes in the area, etc. As far as the house goes make sure it passes all of the inspections for the electrical, air, heat, plumbing. Ask questions to find out if the house ever flooded, any roof damage, is it energy efficient, how old is the air/heat system,etc. How far away is the grocery, bank, post office, shopping center, etc. Look at what you will have to come up with out of pocket too--does it need new carpeting, are the bathrooms and kitchens up to date, do you have enough storage, will you be comfortable with the floor plan, etc. Just a few tips to send your way. Hope it helps in your search.

I think your best bet would be to decide on a location. Important is well kept neighborhoods with good schools. If you plan on building in the future, make sure the house you buy has good bones. Because of the housing market the way it is now, look for the "deal". You are investing in something and you want something that will increase in value. Even if it is not your "dream house". You can change the look and feel of the house over time by remodeling. By doing this, you can greatly increase the value of the home and increase the equity. I would make sure you have a qualified inspector go over every inch of the house you decide on. Do not let a few bad remarks scare you away, if it is something you can repair easily and the price is right. This may even help lower the cost of the house. If you are looking, you may never find your "dream house". That is where building comes in. Give yourself some time, buy a home that will increase in value, and when you have decided exactly what you want in a home, start designing. Also, buying or building a home is very stressful on a relationship. I think the trick is to be open about what you each want, and work together closely. Listening and understanding is key. Good Luck.

We *sortof* house hunting too. I want a 1st floor master suite, an open floorplan and some land to go along with it. Closet and storage space and an attached garage is nice to have too! Good Luck! :)

We are now in process of buying a house, so I very well understand all your thoughts and doubts and it is really not that easy. Be ready to compromise - we all have a conception of a house of our dreams but let's be realistic - we often have to sacrifice some of the dreams because of life circumstances. As a practical advice I would suggest looking for a house where you can just move and start living and not engaging in reparing works right away. And of course - listen to yourself, I think you can recognise your home when you see it.

We narrowed houses down by price to begin with. Every home that was above the limit we had set on day 1 was immediately discarded. Then by the amount of bedrooms and if anything was a two stoey it was discarded too. The size of the backyard and the street it was situated on came next.. We finally looked at a house and fell in love with it straight away.. we knew it was the house for us..

Location is really important, I looked at the neighborhood. Is the neigborhood well kept. What are the cost of the home? A good step prior to purchasing a house is to pull your credit report say about 6 months prior, that way if there are any errors you can correct those mistakes before you are ready to purchase.

Going through the internet can only help you so far. The best thing to do is set aside a price range. Before I bought my house I set a minimum which was a price that we could definitely afford but might feel cramped in. Then we set the median which was something we can afford but feel comfortable in and last we set on maximum for a house we can barely afford if we ate nothing but bread. When you set these prices, go physically to the location and get a realtor to let you see the house. Keep in mind the difference between a economical house and a house you can barely afford and which way you want to lean. Also each time you walk through a house note what makes this house attractive to you and talk to your realitor and get his opinion about the value of the house. One good tip our realtor gave us a good ratio of prices. If a house cost more than $100 for every square foot, beware. Typically those homes are cheap and worthless. If you can't get a realtor, visiting the actually house and even just looking at it from the outside can give you some perspective. I've seen a lot of houses on the internet that "looked" good on paper but when you actually visited the place, the area was bad, the picture was way too good, or it looked bigger than it is.