Buying Your First Home In Washington, DC: Your Home Search - Part 4 Of A Series

Buying Your First Home In Washington, DC: Your Home Search - Part 4 Of A Series

With your pre-approval and your Realtor® chosen, it's time to hit the Internet and then the streets in search of your new place.

There are many web sites out there that allow you to browse through lists of homes and condos that are for sale. Some are sites like Trulia.com or Zillow.com where many, but not all, agents post their listings. Or you can find about a zillion real estate sites that, in return for your name, phone number and email address, will allow you to use their link to the local MLS. You might, however, find yourself bombarded with email from the agent or company after you sign onto their site.

I suggest than my clients do two things.

• I enter their search criterea into my MRIS contacts page and arrange for two updates to be sent to them by email each day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This alerts them both to new listings and to older listings that have had some change in the price or terms. The format includes much more information than you could get using any other search mechanism.
• I have them use homesdatabase.com to do their own searches. You may, but do not have to, register to use this site. It allows you to search adding or subtracting criteria as you choose.

When you are looking at the listings, you'll find that most include a birdseye views of the surroundings on the map that is included. So if the place backs up to a major highway or a junk yard, you'll be able to know this before you venture out for a real look.

In the DC area, you may find your possibilites are, by numbers alone, pretty daunting.There will usually be some photos of the listing that can help you narrow things down. But as you look over the on-line tours, keep in mind:

• Some listing agents are terrible photographers and can make a fabulous place look awful. Others have good cameras and know what they are doing, or they hire someone who can get a good tour. I wouldn't rule out a place solely on no or bad tour photos.
• If the photos are taken with a wide-angle lens, the rooms may appear to be a lot bigger than they really are.
• If pictures of the kitchen are omitted, it probably needs to be redone.

Then you let your agent know which ones you want to get into, you'll have a good possibility list. As you go through each one, remember:

• Some will be beautifully staged while others will be a little cluttered and maybe even smell like the dog. Try to look beyond the mere cosmetics. Good staging can foment a bidding war. With dog smells and clutter, you're not likely to have a lot of competition.
• There will be some things you can fix, like carnivorous wall paper, a dated kitchen or green shag wall-to-wall. Other things you can't really fix, like view, location and room arrangement (at least not easily).
• Higher condo fees usually mean lower prices and vice-versa.
  
• If the only thing standing between you and a place you love is the price, it may be negotiable, especially if it's been on the market for a while.

In no time at all, one or more of the places you see could be totally perfect! Then it's on to Part 5!

Next: Part 5: The Art Of The Deal