Yay, so you've finally made the decision, it's time for you to buy a new home!
Most of us using the internet as the first tool to search, investigate or learn about something new, so chances are your first steps will be to start your hunt online, which is a great place to start your search, but it should not be your end all be all.
Good listing agents are excellent at highlighting the best features of the home, but keep in mind there may be more than meets the eye. To make the most of your time and efforts and gather a well-rounded picture of home listings online, keep the following three things in mind.
Stay up to date. When you start your search, make sure you find a site that pulls up-to-date listings directly from the multiple listing service (MLS) where real estate agents actively post their most current homes for sale. Many online resources update less often or fail to remove listings that are off the market, making it more difficult to sort through the clutter and you may just end up falling in love with a home that is no longer for sale.
Pictures can be deceiving. Real estate photographers are experts at showing a home in the best possible light. Many use tools and strategies to boost appeal, such as a fisheye lens to make areas look larger and creative editing to make colors and textures really pop, some even do digital manipulation and/ or add digital staging to the empty rooms to make it look more appealing. But, often listings will not contain photos of unappealing parts of the home, like small closets, outdated bathrooms, cracks and/ or stains.
See it to believe it. Once you find what appears to be your dream home online, call up your real estate agent and schedule a showing. You want to take the opportunity to vet the home in person and explore every part of it before beginning the offer process. Your real estate agent will help you cover all your bases and will ask questions you may not have thought of, they will also help you find other similar homes or even better homes.
For more information on Real Estate, buying, selling or investing, don't hesitate to reach out, we would love to help!
Gabriel and Kristina
The Zachary Team and San Antonio's REALTOR® Couple
210-504-5301