Be sure you know what you are looking for in a home. Your time is valuable and you don’t want to waste it looking at houses that won’t fit your needs.

Know what you can afford. In addition to your monthly payment, you need to determine how much money you will need for your down payment and closing costs.

Do a little shopping for a loan program that best suits your needs. Most lenders have a variety of packages for you to choose from.

Consider both your current needs and where you expect to be in five years from now. Most people need more room as time goes on.

If you have children, look for toys, bike and other children in the neighborhoods you visit.

Consider the importance of the proximity of schools, hospitals, stores, parks, etc. These are things you need to let your Realtor know.

Ask Questions! Lack of communication is one of the biggest problems when buying a home. Your Realtor cannot help you if they don’t know what you’re thinking.

Write down your feelings or write a checklist of each home you look at during your search. After viewing several homes, it becomes difficult to remember the little things that you liked or disliked.

Consider all your avenues. If you don’t like the homes in your price range, could you pay a little more, should you have one built, would a manufactured home fit your needs, are your needs and affordability in line with one another?

Save your pennies! Just because you have an accepted contract on the home of your choice, does not mean you can celebrate. Your lender will want to see your savings history.