Getting ready to look...

Mom's house in in contract but that means we are very close to starting our search for a house as we will have a sizable down payment when we close on it which may not be for another month give or take.

DH and I go back and forth about whether or not we should start looking NOW just to "see what's out there". He is hesitant because he doesn't want me to get attached to something that either a) we can't afford or b) might not be available to us when we are truly ready. I know he just wants me to be happy, but I kind of want to be prepared.

I just want to see some open houses without signing our names to any sort of list because the last thing I need right now is a realtor breathing down my neck all the time. I think that seeing what is out there for us could help us in the planning process.

If you were in the same (or similar) situation, would you start looking now or would you wait. Please share your thoughts and experiences. TIA.

Re: Getting ready to look...

I think it's a very good idea to go to some open houses now. You really don't feel pressured when you're there; it's all very loose and easy. Most realtors ask you to sign in when you get there, but after that they tell you to just walk around and look at your own pace.

We started going to open houses a few months before we were ready to start seriously looking. The way I saw it, I wanted to be an educated consumer when the time came. We went into houses in many different neighborhoods, saw several different styles, saw what a fixer-upper looked like compared to a "mint ++++", and after about 4 or 5 weekends of this we really started to hone in on what was important to us. We also got a sense of a house's worth - we'd see a house at an open house and then look to see what it sold for a month later, and get an idea of what houses are "worth." So when we started seriously looking, we'd seen a lot of the "comps" in the area personally and had a good sense of what the houses should sell for.

You'll see from the sign-in sheets that about half the people who go to open houses are neighbors who just want a peek inside. It really is a no-pressure situation to walk into one just to look around, for whatever reason.

Have fun!

Re: Getting ready to look...

Thanks. Im a real newbie to this and DH and I said we would turn around and leave if forced to put our name on anything. He is tougher than I am when it comes to stuff like that.

Oh and when we had the tag sale for mom's house, most of the people were in fact neighbors who were nosy and these people bought the leftover toilet paper. Hilarious.

Re: Getting ready to look...

open houses are a good way to start. you can get a feel for what is out there and what type of house you want as well as what town you want to live in

However if you do fall in love with a house, it makes it all the more harder. so you have to be ready to make an offer if you really want it.

I dont think its a bad thing to start looking though. It may take you awhile to find something anyway. More houses start popping up in the market as summer gets closer too.

good luck!

Re: Getting ready to look...

It doesn't hurt to start looking now. Many families who want to sell and move out during the summer before school begins in the fall will start to put their houses up for sale now.

If you are concerned about seeing houses out of your price range, maybe go get pre-approved, so you know what to expect for taxes and house sale when you do start your look. It might help avoid the pain of seeing houses out of your financial reach.

If you want any help/advice when looking, feel free to fm/call me!

Re: Getting ready to look...

i don't think it hurts to start going to open houses and looking online, but i would not find a realtor or use one until you have the cash on hand to start seriously looking.

Re: Getting ready to look...

I agree that you should work with a mortgage person so you have a very good idea of what your range is. I think it is a great idea to get out there and start looking, not sure if you have narrowed down the area you like. Just be cautious at open houses because realtors will use your information to contact you so if you aren't interested don't put down your phone number, email address

Re: Getting ready to look...

Honestly, I would not look at houses in person. I would start with MLSLI and come up with a list of things that you MUST have, things you want, and things you absolutely don't want.

I think (for me) it would be way too hard to go, fall in love with a house, and then not be able to get it because of bad timing.

I am so excited for you guys!

Re: Getting ready to look...

What we did, when we were house rookies, was look on MLS and kind of see what we might be interested in..then we picked a sampling of the different "types" of houses in the neighborhood we wanted to live in...after that, we planned our time around the open houses we wanted to hit...they should not require you to sign in...there's really no reason to unless you are really interested..we told people when they asked that we didn't have a timeline...IF you find something you love, a month goes by quickly...and we waited MONTHS to buy our home from the sellers....I'm sure contingencies can be made if need be...have fun!!

Re: Getting ready to look...

I say look - the market is slow right now and houses aren't flying off the MLS.

although - there aren't a lot of open houses to begin with.


fyi - some daniel gale open houses I have been to make you sign a paper asking if you are working with an agent or not. I think it might be for the REA to get commision if you find the house through an open house.


where are you looking?

Re: Getting ready to look...

Once I said I was a nosy neighbor who just wanted to see what the house looked like and the realtor did not make me sign the paper. I would take the real estate agent's card and depending upon how they treated me I would think about using them.

Re: Getting ready to look...

I say go look! Make up a name and number and write it down!!! Check out the places you are looking at and see what is out there for the money!!!

Re: Getting ready to look...

Start looking to see what you like and what you don't! We loved going to open houses. We had alias I used my mother's maiden name sometimes and other times DH made the names up. We gave different phone numbers and also said that we were already working with an RE. Sometimes I would say I was looking for my brother because he was working

Re: Getting ready to look...

Thanks everyone!

Making up a name is not something I thought to do, but it is a great idea. Maybe we can be famous people.

We are trying to narrow down locations. Right now we are scattered. We know what we want but more importantly we know what we don't want. We do not want to be house poor.

Re: Getting ready to look...

Leslie, I agree...definitely make up a name & more importantly, put down a fake number/email....b/c they will harass you.

Also like others have said, we lived on MLSLI for weeks/months...we did a search & then had those homes that fit that criteria emailed daily, so we knew as soon as a new house was added. We got such a feel for the houses online, most have a ton of pictures & a lot of info about the houses; a lot we ruled out b4 even seeing them.

Re: Getting ready to look...

I think its a good idea to start. We had to see a lot of houses before we knew exactly what we wanted and didn't want.

Re: Getting ready to look...

I think it's a fantastic idea to look. Just look though. No falling in love with anything....but look at houses to see what you like, what you don't like, what you think you need, what you want, areas you like/don't like.....you can use that to create a list of things your ideal house will have.
We always left a fake number or a fake name if we were just looking to get ideas.

We looked for a long time before we were actually in a position to buy and I think it really helped us find a house we could fall in love with. And then when we were ready....we were comfortable that we made the best decision!

Happy House Hunting!

Re: Getting ready to look...

I think you should absolutely start looking. You need to learn what things sell for in your targeted area, even if it means seeing something that you want but can't yet have.

Also...quite often homes are sitting on the market so IF you see something you like, it may be around when the time does come. Or you may not see anything that you like anyway. To me it's a no brainer, start getting your feet wet.

Message edited 2/15/2010 12:36:40 AM.

Re: Getting ready to look...

Message edited 2/15/2010 12:37:41 AM.

Re: Getting ready to look...

I think looking just to get a sense of what is on the market is a great idea. It is hard to not get emotional but just keep reminding yourself that what is meant to be will work out, no matter what. You'll end up in the right place and it will just happen and work itself out.

It is a good idea to get a general knowledge of what is for sale, what the pricing is, what you get for that price, etc. That way, when you start to seriously look you have a good sense of 'this is a deal' or 'this is just OK for the money'. It'll help you know what you really like too.

Re: Getting ready to look...

Honestly I think you would be doing yourselves a disservice by not going out there and looking. Sometimes its nice to just get a feel for what your dollar gets you, othertimes, its an opportunity to drive around the neighborhood and see what the area is like without being clouded by the "but the house is so perfect I'll ignore anything at all!" beforehand.

Good luck!

Re: Getting ready to look...

Re: Getting ready to look...

It never hurts to start looking. You will get an idea of what you want. The realtor will most likely make you sign in, just give a fake name/number if they insist.

Re: Getting ready to look...

Re: Getting ready to look...

Most agents focus on getting listings...that is money in the bank

I feel lucky that I don't have to cold call people and ask them to list! I know a lot of newer agents do that...it's so not me and that is 1 of the reasons I chose to work for an REO broker (I get listings from him)

I can't believe they would do that to your parents...they are prob the same type of agents that steal open house signs ;)