“They should put the two sections together, real estate and obituaries—Mr. Klein died today leaving a wife, two children, and a spacious three-bedroom apartment with a wood-burning fireplace.”
—Billy Crystal, When Harry Met Sally
You’ve done your research, saved up for a down payment, and found a real estate agent you trust. Now comes the next step: Find your dream home already!
This is the really fun part, although it does come with its own unique challenges. Even if you love the entire process of house hunting, the options can be overwhelming. Ranch or Colonial? Suburb or city? A small apartment or palatial townhome? Built-in 40-foot waterslide or stand-alone 40-foot waterslide? It’s hard not to feel that you’re drowning in the possibilities.
To help winnow down the myriad options to find the perfect place for you, heed these tips—and happy searching!
Get pre-approved for a mortgage
Reminder: Do not even look at online listings until you have your mortgage pre-approval lined up with a lender. If you do not have a lender, we have several that we work closely with that can help.
“Not only will a pre-approval make it easier to eventually make an offer as a serious buyer, but it will also help you narrow down your property search criteria so you can focus better,” notes Jackie Hinton, a real estate broker for Center Coast Realty in Chicago. In Maryland, you are required to show proof of funds or provide a pre-approval letter to get your offer accepted.
That’s because the pre-approval letter will detail the maximum mortgage loan you’re approved for or your instant housing budget.
Have a long chat with your agent
Here’s the simple truth: Only you will ultimately know which home is just right for you; however, a good agent will have a better handle on the market. Not only is your real estate agent keeping a constant eye out for newly listed homes you might love, but can also quickly go through your wish list and help you understand what is (and what isn’t) realistic.
So be sure to tell your agent not only what you’re looking for, but why you’re moving, too.
“Are [you] downsizing? Moving closer to work? Accommodating a growing family?” A savvy agent will point out things you might not have considered
—such as the importance of a one-story home if you’re near retirement and planning to stick around for the long haul.
Make a must-have list and stick to it
This is not as easy as it sounds, says Hinton. “Before you start looking, write down the non-negotiable features your new home needs. Then if a place doesn’t have everything on the list, don’t go see it, no matter how curious you are, and the more specific the criteria, the better. For example, where I live, garages are really hard to come by, so if a garage is an absolute must-have, that is an easy way to narrow down your list of potential homes,” she says.
Focusing your list has another benefit: It can help prevent “list creep,” which typically occurs when you see features you adore in each new home. If you’re not careful, all of a sudden you might find your “must- have” list has grown from “3BR/2BA and a decent commute” to include a chef’s kitchen—when you barely cook.
Home in on the neighborhood
Find an area that meets your criteria for amenities, commute, school district, etc., and then spend a weekend exploring before you commit, suggests Hinton.
“You might find that you don’t like an area as much as you thought you would, because it’s impossible to find parking,” she says. Or, you might discover another hidden pocket that you love and didn’t realize was nearby. Once you’ve taken a test drive and selected a neighborhood that you know is “The One,” home in on real estate listings in that specific ZIP code. This allows you to shut out a lot of the noise that can make you crazy with options.
Document your visits
Whether you’re hitting open houses or scheduling showings, it’s inevitable that by the fourth or fifth property, everything is going to start to blur together. Brian Wasson, an agent in Chicago, advocates keeping your smartphone handy and snapping photos from the minute you roll up to the driveway. “Taking a picture of the ‘For Sale’ sign or front of the property first makes it easy to later distinguish between sets of photos,” notes Wasson.
Then, as you walk through the home, capture photos of everything you like, such as a killer view or to-die-for kitchen, as well as anything that feels awkward or out of place, from scary shag carpet to a funky layout. Take notes on the listing sheet so you can easily remember which features you were trying to capture in the photos, and you’ll have a great play-by-play of the home to relive later.
Remember only the top three contenders
“I tell my buyers that a home is either a contender or not,” says Brian Adams, real estate agent with StarPointe Realty in Killeen, TX. In other words, either it’s one of your current top three properties or you should forget about it. This simple trick means you have to keep only three homes in mind at a time.
Don’t worry about timing
Patience is difficult. You want your new home right away. Waiting for something to fall into place can feel like endless purgatory. But that doesn’t mean you should rush the hunt.
“I’ve had clients who spend years in house mode,” says Gretchen Koitz, a real estate agent with the Koitz Group in Bethesda, MD. Not that this is a good thing either, but our point is this: Don’t rush it if you don’t have to.
See beyond the decor
Many people are flat-out terrible decorators, and you’re allowed to be turned off initially by an ugly home. But you shouldn’t let stylistic choices affect your judgment of what a home could be. As Koitz puts it, “‘I hate the red paint in the dining room’ is not a valid concern.” Look beyond those garish drapes to the bones beneath. Is the picture window hidden behind them stunning? Is the hardwood floor good quality, despite the stained rugs layered on top? Think of the long term. Remember, the current owners’ raggedy stuff will leave with them.
Tune in to how you feel
Not to get too woo-woo spiritual about it, but house hunting isn’t just about what you see. It’s also about how you feel.
“A big part of homebuying is pure emotion,” says Koitz. And this swirl of feelings may surprise you, drawing you toward homes you never thought you’d love and away from ones that hit every box on your checklist.
“Agents have a secret saying, which is that ‘Buyers are liars,’” says Koitz. “We don’t mean that buyers really mean to lie, but that what they think they want in a home often goes out the window when emotion kicks in.”
Don’t forget your must-have list, but don’t feel bad about skipping something you thought you wanted. A wonderful home without a his- and-her bathroom is still a wonderful home—you just might have to shuffle your expectations.
“It’s important for buyers to keep in mind that there is no such thing as
the perfect house,” Dart says. “At the end of the day, you’ll find some place that hits the high notes, and that includes the things that were most important to you.”
What kinds of homes are out there, anyway?
Now that you have a sense of what you should be searching for, let’s dive into the fun part: A guide to all the types of homes you’ll see!
Here’s a guide to the most popular architecture styles to help you identify what you want in your house hunt.
Cape Cod
OK, it’s no spoiler that these homes are named after the quintessential New England vacation destination—Cape Cod in Massachusetts—where they first became prevalent. Much like the Puritans of old, Cape Cod homes are modest and economical. This makes sense, since Colonial settlers in the Northeast modeled their homes on British cottages. These homes have steep roofs that reach the first floor (to shed the rain and snow) and second-story dormers (a window that projects vertically from a sloping roof). Fun fact: Original Capes used unfinished cedar shingles, which are ideal for weathering the stormy and unforgiving East Coast winters.
Colonial
A Colonial is symmetrical and features an entry door in the middle of the front of the home with two windows on either side; there are five windows on the second floor, with one directly above the entry door. They’re usually built of wood or brick, which are perfectly suited to the simple, clean, and boxy style. Colonials originally rose in popularity in the 1700s, and are still common around the United States. In fact, they’re considered one of America’s most “traditional” styles.
Victorian
Did you spend hours with your dollhouse as a kid? Then the detail-packed Victorian style will probably look familiar. Key features include a complicated, asymmetrical shape with wings and bays in various directions; elaborate trim; shingles or patterned masonry; steep rooflines; and a large, wraparound porch. They are often painted in bright, complementary colors to highlight the painstaking details. Some people are put off by their aggressive whimsy, but plenty consider them perfect homes to grow old in and sip lemonade on the porch.
Tudor
Tudors are built of brick or stone on the first level and complementary stucco and timbering on the second—all of which is inspired by the architecture of Tudor England in the 16th century. These babies are made to withstand the elements, with steeply pitched roofs and detailed, covered entryways, which is why you’ll see more of them in the chilly Northeast.
Ranch
Blame (or credit, depending on how you feel about this style) the rise of the automobile, not cowboys, for ranch houses. Cars made it possible for families to buy large lots of land outside traditional metropolitan centers —aka “the suburbs”—so people built spread-out ranch houses to take advantage of these new spaces. These homes are one-story and often have an L- or U-shaped floor plan surrounding a patio, sliding glass doors, and a carport or garage. They are quite possibly the best-known instance of American housing—no doubt you’ll see lots of them.
Bungalow /
Craftsman
These adorable one-story homes are characterized by their low, pitched roofs and large front porches. Also called Craftsmans, they rose in popularity in the early 1900s during the Arts and Crafts period, and were revered for their—you guessed it—handcrafted details: hand-cut wood, iron and copper work, and masonry. Bungalows hit their peak during this period and became so popular in the early part of the past century that you could order a complete kit from Sears.
Spanish
You find a lot of these homes in the South or Southwest (Hollywood is full of them). One reason for their popularity: They’re built, from the ground up, to take the heat. Clay tile roofs keep the home cool during the hot summer months and extend beyond the walls to provide extra shade, while extensive outdoor living areas, columns, and arched windows and openings take advantage of the breeze.
Midcentury modern
Full of sharp angles and devoid of ornamentation, these contemporary homes offer flat or shallow-pitched roofs and loads of glass. They often incorporate the surrounding outdoor space via decks and balconies. They started sprouting on the landscape in the 1950s, and their timeless aesthetic has turned these sleek, stripped-down homes into classics.
French Country
The French Country/Provincial style was inspired by the rustic manors that dotted the fields of France during the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th century. The French Revival Style popped up in the 1920s and 1960s. The homes often have a square shape with windows (often double windows and/or balconies) balanced on either side of the entrance and a steep, hipped roof. They are most often made of stone, stucco, and brick.
Condos, townhouses, and duplexes
While the vast majority of home buyers purchase a detached, single-family home, that’s not your only option. Some purchase a townhouse or row house, homes that share at least one wall with other dwellings.
Others buy condos (private residences within larger buildings) or duplexes (two residences in one building). Townhouses, row houses, condos, and duplexes are often found in more densely populated urban areas where space is at a premium. If you enjoy being in the thick of things and don’t mind having neighbors right on top (or to the side) of you, then these more densely built dwellings may be just right for you.
Plus: The 6 worst homes for first-time buyers
While only you will know the right property for you, take it from us— some homes just aren’t right for the average first-time buyer. So make sure to keep these clunkers on your radar before you make a purchase you might regret.
The home that’s a little too cozy
You may not have children when you buy your first home. You may not even be planning on having children. But those plans could change in the next five to 10 years, and that tiny two-bedroom historic bungalow you’ve been eyeing may go from just right to clown-car small.
“If you are recently married and plan to start a family, do not buy a two-bedroom home. Unless you bunk the kids together, you will be moving once the second child comes along,” says Seth Lejeune, a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Collegeville, PA. “Three-bedroom is generally a good thing to start with if a family is in the cards.”
The bloater
On the flip side, you shouldn’t just get the biggest home you can qualify for, either. Five bedrooms might make sense for you in the future, but if it’s just you and your partner now, you probably won’t need those other four bedrooms for years. In the meantime, you’ll be carrying a much larger mortgage than you need—or possibly can handle. There’s almost nothing worse than buying more home than you need and having your mortgage bill come due every month as you scrounge to make payments.
The money pit
You might be tempted to buy an older fixer-upper—after all, you’ve watched so much HGTV you could give Chip Gaines a run for his (considerable) money—but be careful how much rehab you take on.
If the home needs one or two biggish projects and a handful of small weekend jobs to get into perfect condition, you might come out ahead. But if you can spot a dozen problem areas now, you may end up going broke trying to repair that place. Instead, opt for a fixer-upper with an end in sight. “I generally advise people to keep it simple—like kitchens and bath upgrades,” Lejeune says.
The weekend-stealer
Is the front lawn a tropical garden? Does the home have a swimming pool out back? Is there a huge vegetable garden that needs tending? Those features might look great now, but do you really want to spend every weekend maintaining your home? “Pools, hot tubs, elaborate landscaping, etc., are great in theory, but all require maintenance,” Lejeune says.
If you’re not up for the challenge, move right along. Nothing to see here, folks.
The dream crusher
In an ideal world, you’ll live in your first home for a while, maybe make a few improvements, and sell it for a profit later so you can upgrade to an even more awesome pad. But that doesn’t mean you should look at every home solely for its investment potential. Sometimes your tireless home improvements won’t mean much to the next buyer. And sometimes that home simply isn’t going to go up in price, no matter how many improvements you make. If your only reason for making an offer is what you might get out of it after you sell it, consider the market very, very carefully before you make the plunge.
The doorbuster
If you’ve found a really good deal on a home, go ahead and pat yourself on the back for being a regular real estate pro. But then stop and ask yourself why the deal’s so great. Is the location a bit gritty? You might save big bucks in the beginning, but there also might be big problems if and when you try to sell the home later on. “I would advise that you pick [a location] with a strong school district and a fiscally sound municipality,” Lejeune says.
Even if you don’t plan on having children, or you don’t care if a neighborhood is a little rough around the edges, future buyers might— and that means you may be forced to offer the same discount you got when you bought the home. And nobody wants their decisions as a first- time buyer to come back and haunt them as a first-time seller.
