Beginning Your Home Search

Learn how to survey the housing market, locate promising homes for sale, and decide what you really want in a house.

It's a good idea to start your home-search process on your own, particularly if you haven't yet chosen an agent. Just going to open houses for a week or two or surfing the Internet will help you get a sense of the local market. It can also refine your sense of how much house you can afford, potentially expand your horizons regarding livable neighborhoods, and wise you up to what all the advertising hype really means—or disguises.

How to Access Listings of Houses for Sale
Somewhere out there is a seller who wants to sell his or her home as badly as you want to buy one. This means you can count on homes being advertised in at least a few places. Here are some good ways to look for up-to-date information on homes for sale:

Read the local newspaper, especially the Sunday edition. Check the classified sections of various newspapers. If you're focused on a particular neighborhood, find out whether that neighborhood has a community newspaper with real estate listings. Many newspapers also post their classified sections online.

Drive through the neighborhoods that interest you. You may spot "For Sale" signs on homes whose listings you overlooked. You may see "FSBOs"—that is, homes for sale by owner, without the help of a real estate agent. FSBOs are not always advertised widely. Another way to make sure you don't miss any FSBOs is to check Web sites dedicated to them, such as www.owners.com.

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