Shop
for a Home 
It's a good idea
to do some fact-finding before you start looking at homes - before you
get caught up in the excitement and stress of the shopping process.
Hopefully you've gotten to know the communities you're considering during
the organizational phase. Now it's time to narrow the search and find
your new home.
Research
Markets
Review your notes and decide where you want to conduct your home search.
Use our community research checklist to help you decide on the right
location. Your agent can help you review recent sales activity in the
area to get some idea of what you can expect to find in your price range.
Gauge
Market Conditions
Real estate markets are highly cyclical. The current status of the
market can have a significant effect on your homebuying strategy. Try
to develop an understanding of the state of the market, so you'll have
some idea of the conditions to anticipate when shopping - and a feel
for how hard you can bargain when negotiating.
What's
Best - Hot or Cold Market?
Unless you're a first-time
buyer, you've probably got a house to sell while you're shopping
for a new home, so it's not easy to determine if a strong market is
helpful or harmful. As a general rule, if you are moving up - looking
for a new home significantly more costly than your old one - you may
want to act during a weak market, when the savings on an expensive,
new property will more than outweigh the losses on the older one. Conversely,
empty nesters looking to switch to a smaller home may want to plan their
move during a hot market, when they can maximize gains on the sale of
a larger home.
When
is the Best Time of Year to Sell?
In most markets there are two primary selling seasons - spring and
fall. Spring is the strongest, since many buyers want to move in before
the next school year begins. Summer and winter are generally poor selling
periods. Avoid marketing your home at these times if you can. Of course,
some areas have their own specific seasonality. If you are selling a
home in a seaside vacation spot, for example, summer is an excellent
time to be on the market.
Understand
Recent Area Sales
Don't listen to anecdotes about bidding wars and homes getting
snapped up in one day. There is no substitute for accurate information.
Check out the actual sales prices of area homes, and try to get a feel
for what is really happening in the marketplace.