So, you’ve made the decision to buy a house. The green light is on, you’re itching to get started, but you don’t know where to begin.
It’s tough to know where to start looking, especially when the purchase is such an important one. You don’t want to miss out on great homes by viewing the wrong website or talking to the wrong person, but you have to start somewhere.
We’re going to help you out in this process today. We’ll look at some of the best ways to find excellent property deals, providing you with a number of options for home-browsing.
Hopefully, the ideas below give you the direction you need to find the best homes for sale in your area. Let’s take a look at how you might find your dream house.
1. Start With a Search
The first place to look is the web. You don’t have to be too particular when you’re starting out because the initial search is just a way to get a feel for the market.
There are dozens of real estate sites that list homes all across the country. In a lot of cases, real estate agents will list homes on these sites to ensure a wide range of visibility from clients.
As you move down the search, you’ll start to see local realtors and home listings from lesser-known agents. Those sites are where you’ll find good relationships with agents and homes that the big sites aren’t privy to.
For example, check out these homes in Las Vegas.
2. Find a Realtor
If your initial search doesn’t lead you to anything special, the next step is to find a real estate agent. This is someone who has a vested interest in finding you a great home. If they don’t, they don’t get paid.
So, become friends with your agent and get insight into homes right when they hit the market. Property listing sites aren’t always on top of things, so you’ll always miss out on a few deals when you use them.
3. Take a Drive
Home sales aren’t an exact science, and not everyone knows how to market their homes effectively. Drive around areas that you’re interested in living in.
You might see for sale signs that you’d never find online. It’s a scrappy way to find a home, but it’s also a great way to see if you’d actually enjoy living somewhere. Actually being in the neighborhood gives you a totally different perspective on things.
4. Refine Your Searches
Establish two or three websites that show you great homes. It gets frustrating when you’re on those sites, though, because they’re endless rabbit holes.
You could spend two or three hours at a time perusing potential houses and totally lose sight of your desires. Narrow down your search requirements and check those sites each morning for a few minutes. You’ll only see the new homes that you haven’t seen, and doing so is a great way to streamline your process.
5. Alerts on Listing Sites
Some sites give you the ability to get notifications when there’s something that you might like. This is a great way to get the scoop right when the house is listed and nobody else has seen it.
The sooner you can look at homes and make an offer, the better your odds of snagging those hidden gems that don’t show up very often.
6. Word of Mouth
If you know a few homeowners, it never hurts to ask them if they know of anything. It’s often the case that word-of-mouth discoveries lead to more affordable deals on the best houses.
If you can find out that someone is looking to sell before they even list the home, you get primary access to view and make an offer on that home. In that case, nobody has to pay real estate agents or marketing fees.
So, ask around and see if anyone knows anything. You could even make a post on social media and ask people to respond to you directly so nobody else gets a whiff of your potential deals.
7. Get Pre-Approved
This one doesn’t really have to do with finding the home per se, but it’s essential that you have bank approval before you start making offers.
It’s essential that you know how much you can offer on a house. That way, you can be confident in your search and strike while the iron is hot. Pre-approval doesn’t take much time and it gives you a lot more direction on your search.
8. Keep an Eye on Auctions
All states host auctions on foreclosed homes. These homes are often listed at a rate far lower than what they would be worth on the market.
In some cases, you can get the home for extremely cheap when there are few other bidders. Most of the auctioned homes are listed online. There are some that you need to attend physically to bid on, though.
9. Find Fixer-Uppers
Buying a home in disrepair isn’t always a bad idea. Sometimes, homes get listed far below market value when they have a few bumps and scrapes that most people wouldn’t want to deal with.
If you’re a handyperson, all the better. You can run some repairs and boost your property value immensely. If you’re not that handy, you can always factor in the potential costs of hiring contractors and doing remodels.
10. Write Letters
This one is a little bit out there, but it’s not unheard of. You can always ask someone if they’re willing to sell their home. If there’s something you’re in love with and it’s not for sale, where’s the harm in asking?
Don’t walk up to the home and ask in person. Write a kind, considerate letter with your offer and mail it to the person. It’s a little eccentric, but sometimes that’s what it takes.
Need More Tips for Property Deals?
Hopefully, our ideas for finding great property deals were useful to you. There’s a lot more to learn about the homebuying process, though. We’re here to help.
Explore our site for more ideas on real estate, personal finance, business, and a whole lot more.
