While having access to so many online tools and resources can make the home-buying process less time consuming, it doesn’t necessarily make it any less overwhelming.

There are a few basic steps I recommend that can make the process a whole lot easier for you.

• Get pre-qualified. When I say that you may be sitting there wondering, “What does that exactly mean?” Well, simply put it’s how much house you can afford to buy. There are lots of great online calculators that can give you an idea on payments, but be sure to talk to a lender before you start looking at homes. You want to make sure you can qualify for a loan and determine how much house you can afford. It is a waste of your time to look at houses that may be out of your price range.  The good news is that getting pre-qualified is a fairly simple process. Through Allen Tate Mortgage, for example, it can be done online!

• Interview agents. Just because you know someone or know “of” someone doesn’t mean that they are the expert you need to guide you through the home-buying process. There is criteria you should look for in the person you are entrusting to help you. Don’t settle. Find the person with whom you feel comfortable and confident.

• Do your research. Decide what area you want to live in. What is the longest commute you will consider? What are the resale trends in a particular area?  If you are new to the area and not sure, ask your REALTOR® for help. There are also online tools and checklists that can assist.

• On Allentate.com you can easily compare communities. Simply enter www.allentate.com/MLS# and click on the “Community Profile” icon under the pictures. The Community Profile has information on housing inventory, population growth demographics, housing stability, levels of education and employment. You can compare one community to the next through the Community Comparison tool, which may help you decide between two different areas of town or two different parts of the country.

• Use a features wish list to keep focused. While there will be houses you rule out immediately, there may be others that have features that appeal to you. When I work with buyers, I always make them narrow down their choices to three. They must put the three in order of preference and, if they find another house they like, they must get rid of their 3rd option and then decide where in the mix this new choice falls. There are lots of great checklists you can use to help you make sure you’re making decisions that fall inline with your wants and needs.

What tips would you add to this list?

By Amanda Serra