How to buy a home The home of your dreams may well be within your reach. Here's how to shop for a home that suits you and your budget. Stepts: 1. There is no sense in looking at homes you can not afford. Find your price range and stay within it. 3. Simplify your search by defining the area you'd like to live in. Think about your commute to work, area schools, and resale value of the homes in various neighborhoods. 4. Shop for your home on your own only if you understand the tradeoffs. 5. Shop for your real estate agent who will search for suitable properties, represent your ibterests and negotiate on your behalf. A buyer's representative can evaluate the properties you veiw, do a market analysis to determine its value in the marketplace, select an appropriate price to begin negotiations and advise you in writting the contract. 6. Go into exhaustive detail when describing to your agent what you want in a home: number of bathrooms and bedrooms, attached garage, land and anything else that may be important, like good light or a big enough yard for the kids. 7. See as many different homes in your price range as you can, either on your own or with a real estate agent. With each home you see, write down as many features and important items as necessary to help you remember the home. Consider how your belongings will look in each home. Will your furniture match or blend on your style and layout of the home? Or will you have to spend money on new furniture? 8. Look beyond the home to the neighborhood and the condition of nearby homes to make sure you aren't buying the only gem in sight. The area in which your home is located is sometimes a bigger consideration than the home itself, since it has a major impact on your home's resale value. Buying a fixer-upper in the right neighborhood can be a great investment, and being able to identify up-and- coming-communities-where more people want to live-can lead you to a bargain property that will only appreciate in value. 9. Visit properties you are seriously interested in at various times of the day to check traffic and congestion, available parking, noise levels and general activities. What may seem like a peaciful neighborhood at lunch can become a loud shortcut during rush hour, and you would never know it if you drove by only once. 10. Consider the crime rate. 11. Make sure to order a home inspection. Those hundred dollars are money in the bank when it comes to identifying potentially serious problems such as leaks, roof problems, drainage, structural issues and other potential problems. 12. Try not to fall in love with one particular property. It's great to find exactly what you need, but if you get your heart set on one home, you may end up paying more than it's worth, because you are emotionally invested. The deal may also fall apart. 13. Work with your agent to present an offer. In many areas multiple offers are commonplace; your agent should help you craft a competitive bid that makes the most of your financial assets. He or she can help you determine how close to the asking price you should be and, if your offer's turned down, how to counteroffer. 14. Move in! Warnings: In a hot market, homes will sell very fast and you may not have the luxury of thinking about a purchase decision. It may be gone by the time you decide. Tips: The patient finding a home that fits your family's needs can tace some time. Be prepared to lose out on a few homes. Don't get discouraged if you don't get the first home you decide you like. The process of buying a home is complicated and doesn't always work out the first time. Buying a home is likely to be the biggest single investment you'll ever make. Invest wisely. Learn to look beyond the owner's belongings and decorations. Sometimes it's difficult to see past what is in the home. Remebber, you're buying the home, not what is in it.