Fast Tips for First-Time Home Buyers | Real Estate | U.S. News
19 Fast Tips for First-Time Homebuyers · 1. Get Preapproved for a Mortgage · 2. Make Your Own Home Buying Budget · 3. Read Up on School ...
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Adding to your debt is the last thing you want to do when you're about to apply for a mortgage, says Herman. So, avoid doing things like signing an auto loan while you're <anchor>house-hunting</anchor>. The less debt you have, the more likely you are to qualify to borrow for a home.
How to Choose a Home | Real Estate | U.S. News
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1. How to Choose a Home
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# How to Choose a Home

Doing the groundwork and knowing what you want will make the decision easier.

![](https://www.usnews.com/object/image/00000182-2147-da5e-aba7-ebcf205b0000/249171337-10159660283916083-3561574554777174185-n.jpg?update-time=1658415725146&size=responsiveSquare300)

By[Kristi Waterworth](https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/kristi-waterworth)

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Edited by[Dawn Bradbury](https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/dawn-bradbury)

May 19, 2023

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By[Kristi Waterworth](https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/kristi-waterworth)

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Edited by[Dawn Bradbury](https://www.usnews.com/topics/author/dawn-bradbury)

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May 19, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.

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Choosing a home that's best for you requires understanding who you are and what you want your life to look like in the future.

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[Find a Top Agent »](/agents/#quiz)

It’s one thing to thumb through internet home listings, dreaming about the day you can [buy a home](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-to-buy-a-house) of your own, and another to be actively looking for a house in the current [real estate market](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/your-guide-to-the-housing-market). Your options may be limited, the [competition](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/the-buyer-and-seller-guide-to-a-real-estate-bidding-war) may be fierce, and if you’re not sure what you want in a home, you may get left behind.

But how do you pick a house? For some, it’s a gut feeling when they walk into a new place that feels like home, but for other buyers, looking at particular characteristics of the home is key.

Read:

10 Helpful House Hunting Apps for 2023

## Do the Groundwork: Budget, Agent, List

According to Opendoor Research, the average [first-time home buyer](https://money.usnews.com/loans/mortgages/articles/a-checklist-for-first-time-homebuyers) saw 24 homes in person or online, and over half of those buyers made at least five [offers](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/the-guide-to-making-and-accepting-an-offer-on-a-home) before securing their future home. This means that in the current real estate environment, it’s more important than ever to have some kind of plan when you’re looking for your next house.

Some buyers already know exactly what they want, but many don’t. If that describes you, your [real estate agent](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-to-find-a-real-estate-agent) is an important partner in your home search and their advice and guidance can help set you up for success as you try to find your future home.

“I always like to advise my clients to set a budget and keep that in mind during our home search,” says George Blum, real estate agent with the Veterans United Realty Network and national production manager at Atrium Realty in Jacksonville, Florida. “Once they have a budget in mind, I have them create a list of everything that they need and nice-to-haves. This allows us to sit down and tailor what is most important to them, while staying within their budget. At times, this is where homebuyers may realize that some of their wants may be just that.”

Although making lists of features that are important to you is a useful trick for many buyers, others respond to different tactics. Sometimes those checklists are too restrictive and your house isn’t found with a simplified list of features.

“Based on my experiences, most buyers end up with very different properties than they have initially envisioned,” says Ying He, real estate agent with BarbCo in San Francisco. “They need to keep an open mind. Oftentimes, buyers fall in love with a property that does not match their checklist.”

Related:

[How to Write a House Offer Letter (With Examples)](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-to-write-an-offer-letter-to-a-seller)

## Buy for Your Lifestyle

Choosing the home that’s best for you requires a lot of self-reflection. It’s important to understand who you are and what you want your life to look like in the future. Consider your hobbies, how much you value entertaining, and even how far you may have to travel for entertainment or the company of your best friends.

“If you love to cook, a gourmet kitchen may be extremely important to you,” says Clare Trapasso, executive news editor at Realtor.com in Sleepy Hollow, New York. “If you’re working from home, a home office with a door you can close could save your sanity. Location is also key. Is this an area where you would be happy living for many years? Is it close to work, family and friends? Are there things to do nearby that you enjoy?”

Buyers tend to want [big yards](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/backyard-patio-ideas) with fences for pets, according to Blum, but he notes that other features like garbage disposals rarely make his clients’ checklists, even though they end up being features that buyers will use constantly. You, too, may find that the little things add up to really make a home homey, even if those little things didn’t show up on your must-have list.

According to Opendoor, 54% of home buyers plan to spend the most of their time at home in the [kitchen](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/slideshows/modern-kitchen-ideas-to-spruce-up-your-home) and [bedrooms](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/top-bedroom-remodeling-ideas), so making some specific choices about what these spaces should look like needs to be a priority.

Read:

[The Guide to Escalation Clauses in Real Estate.](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/the-guide-to-escalation-clauses-in-real-estate)

## Resolve Conflicting House Visions

Even if you know what you want, choosing the ideal home can get more complicated if you’re trying to do it with a partner or other co-owner. Communication and honesty with the other person is going to be vital, but so is hammering out your needs together, long before you start house-hunting.

“Figuring out what you need versus what you want is a crucial part of the home buying process,” says Trapasso. “Making sure your list aligns with your partner’s list, if you’re buying a home together, is also important to do. Buying a home in a community close to family, or in a preferred school district, or within a short commute of your job may be your priority. So perhaps you’re willing to compromise on the size of your yard, the home’s [square footage](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-to-measure-the-square-footage-of-your-house) or how many bathrooms are in the house.“

But even once you’re actively searching, it may take a little time to find the right fit. Everybody involved should get something they really want in a home, even if it takes looking at a lot of houses.

“If buyers see enough homes, there will eventually be something that each partner likes and they will decide on the home that suits each of them with the least number of negatives,” says Fiona Dogan, real estate agent at Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty in Rye, New York.

## Think Long Term

Finding the perfect house is often a process of eliminating the houses that aren’t right, and imagining what a pretty good house can be. The nice thing about buying a house of your own is that you can make changes to it later. Real estate agents will tell you to pick your battles when it comes to things you’re likely to upgrade later.

“I always tell buyers to consider the location and the community first,” says Dogan. “Homeowners can always [renovate](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-to-renovate-a-house), alter or add onto a home to make it what they want. Unless you [custom build](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/how-much-does-a-new-construction-house-cost) your own home, you are always going to make compromises and most likely renovate or refresh the home that you buy.”

Most importantly, is the house you’re looking at, with the features that are more difficult to change, going to be a good house for you in the future? Home owners are staying in their homes longer than ever, so it’s important to plan longer term.

“Buying a home is a long term investment,” says He. “You need to be able to weather some ups and downs. Think about your lifestyle five years down the road. Can you see yourself living here in five years?”

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[**10 Helpful House Hunting Apps for 2024** \
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With photos, maps and property history, these apps make searching for your next home easy.\
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Josephine NesbitAug. 26, 2024\
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[**What to Know About Subletting Apartments** \
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It's still your name on the lease, so make sure the right person rents your apartment while you're away.\
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Geoff WilliamsAug. 23, 2024\
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[**7 Luxury Real Estate Trends to Watch** \
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Luxury homes need to be as functional as they are aesthetically pleasing.\
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Maurie BackmanAug. 22, 2024\
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[**Backyard Features Buyers Want Most** \
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These backyard features could add to your home's value and buyer appeal come sale time.\
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Liz Brumer-SmithAug. 21, 2024\
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[**Signs of a Money Pit House** \
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Are you about to buy a home that's going to bleed you dry? Here's how to avoid that trap.\
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Maurie BackmanAug. 20, 2024\
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[**Timeline for Closing on a House** \
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Closing on a home involves more than exchanging money and signing documents. Here's how long it takes to close on a house and what to expect.\
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Josephine NesbitAug. 19, 2024\
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[**Is Florida's Housing Market in Trouble?** \
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Recent housing market data is sending warning signals, however, an imminent crash isn't likely. \
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Liz Brumer-SmithAug. 16, 2024\
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[**NAR Settlement Changes Homebuying** \
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In a big industry shift, new rules will change how agents get paid.\
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Aly J. YaleAug. 15, 2024\
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![](https://www.usnews.com/object/image/00000191-6c89-db8d-a5bb-eccbbff10000/https-media-gettyimages-com-id-1737291260-photo-black-couple-moving-down-front-steps-of-two-story-house.jpg?update-time=1724102895674&size=responsiveSquare150)](https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/what-the-2-billion-realtor-lawsuit-means-for-homebuyers-and-sellers)

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