Watch this short video for some useful tips for the overall home-search process. These include: Take lots of pictures of each. Outside, key rooms, yard, garage and features you care about. Comparing pictures is faster than re-visiting. Document and "score" as you go. Measure — ideally, the same measurements for each place. The Federal Housing and Urban Development agency - HUD - provides a helpful scorecard to use. They recently moved the scorecard; heres the new web address: https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/CHECKLIST-EN.PDF Alternatively, keeping record on a smartphone with an app or spreadsheet may facilitate the process, especially for couples and families.

Whether its a real walk-through or a virtual walk-through, theres no substitute for seeing a prospective home. Keep your own list of requirements in mind, but also size up and record these things about each: Do the numbers of bedrooms, offices and bathrooms meet or exceed your requirements? Do the other rooms and features provide the space you need now and later? Will your furniture fit, and fit well? Does the structure look solid? Are appliances, heat/AC and other systems in good working order? Are there obvious outstanding repairs? These might be negotiated in the purchase process. How do yards, decks and garage spaces stack up against your needs? You may save time by measuring and recording the results, especially for key rooms or those that are questionable fits. It can be especially helpful to envision the place in very different seasons. What will this be like in snow? Rain? Heat? Save yourself time by "keeping score", with consistent notes and measurements for each place that youre really going to consider.

Learning everything about a community in making a home-buying decision can be tough. Here are some tips: Visit the library. Community libraries are a great way to get the pulse of a place — resources, local events, and more. Contact schools. If the schools will be part of your life in a new place, connect with them directly. Try the Chamber of Commerce. Many communities maintain a formal Chamber of Commerce, and helping someone understand what the community has to offer is their job. Welcome kits, maps and other information may save you time. And of course, talk to real estate professionals. Being a local expert is their job.

When you buy a home, you also buy the neighborhood and the community where the home is located. Its not just a real-estate purchase, its a lifestyle decision! Its best to weigh all three against the day-to-day life that suits you. Is the peace, quiet and distance of rural life more to your taste, or do you prefer closer proximity to people and activities? Are community assets such as museums, theatres, music and libraries important and close by? What access to public transportation do you need? What proximity to shopping do you prefer? If there are children in the household, home location usually affects school choices. Check the current zoning of neighborhood-to-school, and ask about zoning changes over time. In the final decision, talking with people that live in the community and neighborhood may be helpful. They will know the area well, and you may be meeting your future neighbors in the process.

REALTOR® is a registered trademark, as the ® symbol indicates. Only members of the NAR — National Association of Realtors — are allowed to use the trademark as part of their professional title. Members have access to educational resources and certifications around the complex real-estate process. They are also required to adhere to a Code of Ethics. According to NAR, their aim is to be experts in real estate, trends, and their local community, in order to help both buyers and sellers succeed. Roughly half of the people who can sell real estate (by getting a state license) take the additional steps to join NAR and become a REALTOR®. You can find licensed a REALTOR® by searching the NAR directory, or browsing regional resources.

Legal assistance is required in the home-buying process in some US states, but not others. States that currently require a real estate attorney to be involved include: Alabama Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Dakota Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Vermont Virginia West Virginia As states pass new legislation, this list may change, so check local laws. Even if a lawyer is not required, the agreements and documentation in a home purchase do involve legal commitments. Engaging a legal representative may be helpful.

Buying a home and renting a home are quite different in the long run. Monthly cost is only part of the picture. Renting does not involve the long-term financial commitments of buying. Renters generally have less responsibility for maintenance. These short-term advantages can cost long-term leverage, though. Renters do not build equity (ownership); where part of each dollar a homeowner pays in a mortgage is coming back to them in equity, rent payments are purely an expense. Home owners also have tax advantages not available to renters. Individual situations aside, home ownership has historically been financially advantageous. The costs — insurance, taxes and upkeep — are generally outweighed by the freedom, security and stability of ownership over time.