First Time Home Buyer: How to find a home           

The absolute easiest way to find a home is to simply hire a Realtor to help you look for one that meets your needs. However, the hardest part of finding the right home, is hiring the right Realtor. Please see our FHA Experts section.

If you are a first time home buyer, it would be highly advisable to work only with a Full Time Realtor. While a part time Realtor may be a good friend or seem really nice, they generally lack the experience and education that a full time Realtor has. This is probably the largest single purchase you will make. Do you want to trust that to someone who just dabbles in the industry. If you were looking for a surgeon to operate on you, you would probably not be looking for someone that just practiced medicine "part time".

The first place to start gathering names is from Friends and Relatives. Also, check with the Lender you are working with. They may be able to refer you to a Realtor that has a lot of experience in your market since they deal with Realtor’s everyday. Or see our FHA Experts section.

Once you have your short list, it’s time to interview them. Remember, you are hiring them to do a job for you. You are looking for the best person to represent your interest and get you the best deal on the home you are interested. Some simple questions are listed below to give you an idea of how to interview multiple agents to find the right one.

Once you have determined which Realtor you want to use, do not be surprised if they ask you to sign a Buyer Brokerage Agreement. It is your choice whether to sign the form or not but if you are truly interested in finding a home and you want the agent to really work for you, it might not be a bad idea. You want a commitment from them and they are simply asking for one from you.

The first thing that your agent should do is to sit down with you and complete a profile of what you are looking to purchase. You may find a sample copy here or complete this form for your Realtor.

Please print and use our New Home Profile to communicate to your Realtor. It is a great tool for a first time home buyer to help you narrow your search.

If you are buying a Condo you might want to have the Condo Questionnaire completed by the Homeowners Association.  There are special requirements for Condo's.  Also you or you Lender will need to check to see if the Condo is and approved project with HUD.  If not your Lender may or may not be willing to do "Spot Approval".

This will help both you and your Realtor to find the idea home.

Through your search process you may decide to look at HUD HOMES or For Sale by Owner properties.

Once you find the right home, be sure to read the section on "After You Find a Home"