Woohoo! We have our wants and needs list, and now it is time to start seeing some homes!

Your real estate agent should set you up on an MLS search to help you find some homes, but I know you will probably want to do some searching of your own – everyone always does.

So here are a few tips to keep in mind as you look at homes to narrow down your list…

Keep your search filters broad. For instance, if you need four bedrooms so you can use the fourth one as an office, you may want to include three bedrooms in your search as well. Perhaps, there is a three bedroom home out there with a den that would work perfectly for your office. This to say, narrowing down your filter might make you miss the perfect house.

Be mindful of absolute filters. Make sure you are putting in a buffer when you enter your filters. A   search to include homes with 2,500+ square feet will not show you that home with 2,499 square feet.

Expand your geographic search. Opening up your search to include just a little bit further may give you more options. 

Don’t let pictures fool you. Keep in mind that photographs can be deceiving, so don’t base everything on what the pictures look like. Some agents use professional photographers who filter the MLS photos while other agents are snapping blurry photos on their iPhones. Review the entire listing before nixing it simple based on the photos. I’ve seen beautiful homes with really bad photos and vice versa. 

As you begin to pick out homes to tour, your agent will set up showings to see them.