Kantor Residential Real Estate Postings

Five Tips For Effective House Hunting


As the spring time arrives, home buyers are getting ready to tour homes. It’s important to consider some practical tips for effective and safe house hunting.

Lenny’s Tip #1 - Find out what you can afford first. Get a Pre-Approval!

Many home buyers make the mistake of first looking for a home without determining what they can afford. The first step to home buying is to consider the financial aspects. Determine what value of loan you are qualified to obtain, or the comfort level of the monthly payments that you desire. You can approach any qualified lender in your area to apply for a loan pre-qualification , or loan pre-approval. A pre-qualification is subject to review of your final documentation, i.e. tax returns, verifiable income and expenses. The pre-approval process actually gets your loan underwritten by your lender after they review the necessary financial records. A Pre-approved lender letter is a great negotiating tool, for you have proven to the seller that you are fully qualified to purchase their home.


Lenny’s Tip #2 - Do preliminary research on the internet to discover available properties. Drive by the properties that may appeal to you to see if you like the community, then use a qualified Real Estate Agent throughout the selection process.

It is always best to work with a qualified real estate agent during your house search. After all, there is typically no cost to the buyer to use a real estate professional. The commission to the buyer’s agent in most cases is paid by the seller. Why not use a qualified Realtor to search, select, and show you property at his or her time and expense? Also, a qualified Realtor can help you through all the paperwork, and negotiations necessary to get the best price for your new home, and ensure that the settlement process is performed as smoothly as possible.


Today, many tech savvy individuals do their initial search for homes on the internet sites such as Realtor.com, Homesdatabase.com, Zillow.com, or Trulia.com, to name a few.

These are excellent websites designed to give the buyer a good overview of available properties in the price range, features, and location desired. But, not every property is equal. A qualified realtor can help you make the best choice for a home that fits your criteria and lifestyle.

Some of the things that can not be discovered over the internet are things such as the effect of traffic and street noise. Also, the photos and descriptions of the property may highlight the strengths of the property, and avoiding the weaknesses. This is where a qualified real estate agent can help and direct you.

Lenny’s Tip #3 - Open House Etiquette!

An open house is a time where sellers have a set time to show, and open their house to the public. Open houses may be listed in the local newspapers, or on-line. As you drive through communities, open houses are generally held on Sundays between 1-5 pm. You will see directional signs posted in a community stating "Open House", and sometimes accompanied with balloons. If you are female, I suggest that you go to open houses in pairs to be safe. In larger homes, especially in secluded neighborhoods, safety should be a concern.