Clueless house hunting questions--can someone savvy please help?

[Harriet Vane]

We are looking at real estate and hoping to move in the next couple months closer to my dh's new job. I am not real sure what's fair or normal to ask my real estate agent.

 

We originally targeted a specific neighborhood based on proximity to dh's job. However, after looking at several houses in that area on two different occasions, I have realized that the lot sizes are smaller than I would like. I would like to expand the search to a larger geographic area. However, when all is said and done, we may end up accepting the smaller lot sizes and sticking with the original targeted neighborhood. I just won't know without seeing houses. I feel high maintenance for changing what we are looking for.

 

Is it normal to go out repeatedly with a realtor, shifting variables as we go? For example, we said the house HAS to be a certain distance from dh's job. Now we're saying maybe it could be further away IF the yard is bigger.

 

I have a very difficult time really picturing room sizes and lot sizes without actually seeing the property. Therefore the MLS listings only help up to a certain point. I feel badly because yesterday when I was out with my agent there were MANY houses that I knew, within five minutes, that it was not going to work for us. I wish I could know that without dragging her through every house--however, it seems I have to actually see the room dimensions and the yard size. Is that normal?

 

FWIW my agent has been gracious, accommodating, and hardworking. I just feel bad not knowing what to choose and worry about being a high maintenance client.

 

Can someone please tell me what is normal for a real estate search? Timeline from start to finish, how many times is average for narrowing down what we want, how many times to see a house if you think you might buy it, etc.?

 

Thanks.

[Brigitte]

From a home buyer's perspective, we started out looking at $50,000 fixer-uppers to buying a townhouse in move-in condition for $130,000. A good agent recognizes that what you originally had in mind might not be where you end up (and most people never do).

 

From a real estate agent's perspective, we are pretty used to the process you are going through. The biggest favor you can do for your agent is to be up front with her. If you know in 5 minutes a house won't work for you, say it immediately and move on. Give her good feedback on every house you see - from that feedback she can figure out what you are leaning towards and can better direct her search. All those clues will lead her to what you really want even if you don't know it yet. Let her show you things you might not think are a good fit on paper. Give her a list of your absolute must haves and be realistic about your price range, then give her some free rein to pick some properties to show you.

 

Finally, let her know that you value her time and she will be more than happy to give you whatever time you need. I know when I feel appreciated for my time and effort, I am willing to give all I have. But, when people make me feel like all the time I put to showing them property is a waste, I don't really want to get back in the car and show them more.

 

Your experience sounds completely normal to me. Good luck!

[Sherry in OH]

It is normal to shift variables. If a large yard is important to you, tell your realtor. Tell her what you like and don't like about each house she shows you. Statements such as "good layout, but I need a larger dining room," are more useful than "no way, next." If your realtor is doing her homework, she will use your feedback in determining what other homes to show you.

[simka2]

This is very normal!!! and a good real estate agent knows this, and should actually be able to predict it a bit ;)!

 

Be difficult!!! It's okay :D.

[OnTheBrink]

Your agent is earning a portion of the commission by showing you homes, so don't worry about dragging her to many different places! Until you get an idea of what a room-size really means, you can't realistically say that a house "on paper" would work for you or not. Some people aren't gifted in visualizing space size. Your realtor should know that.

 

I think there is a balance between what you have to have in a home, and its location. Meaning, you might something doable that's not perfect but could be with some cosmetic changes, but is in a fabulous location. Or, you might find the perfect home that's further away. I think that the list of "absolutely must haves" should be relatively short, with the list of "things we can compromise on" longer.

 

And, I'd not worry an iota about what the agent thinks. This is her job. If she gets testy or balks at looking at one more house, she's not the agent for you.

 

Good luck! I hope you find a wonderful home soon. :grouphug:

[Harriet Vane]

If she gets testy or balks at looking at one more house, she's not the agent for you.

 

 

 

Thanks for the advice and hugs--I feel reassured.

 

For the record, I do want to make it clear that the agent has not once been testy or balked at looking at anything. She's been great. It's just me fretting, feeling clueless, not wanting to ask too much.

[unsinkable]

small suggestion --- measure the rooms you have now so you can get any idea of size.

[abbeyej]

Helping you figure out what you need and what your money can buy is *what*she's*there*for*. She can do her job better if you're completely honest with her, "You know, now that we've looked at some of these, we see that the lots are smaller than what we really want. Ideally, yes, we'd be this close to dh's office, but we'd also really rather have a larger lot. If that means looking just a bit farther out, we'll make that compromise."

[OnTheBrink]

Thanks for the advice and hugs--I feel reassured.

 

For the record, I do want to make it clear that the agent has not once been testy or balked at looking at anything. She's been great. It's just me fretting, feeling clueless, not wanting to ask too much.

 

Fret not. In a sense, you're paying her to be your agent, since a percentage of the house price you're paying goes into her bank account. Ask all the questions you need to. When we bought our house, we wore the realtor out with questions, seeing different homes, etc. He was great in pointing out potential problems (one house, for example, had all custom-sized windows that would be very $$ to replace if they broke. Another house had many additions that didn't connect to the central heat and air. Very $$ to heat and cool half the house! So, it pays to ask!)

[Dobela]

It is normal to shift variables. It is normal to take a long time finding that right house. We just spent a full year doing just that. We made several offers that fell thru for one reason or another. We went from wanting houses in a particular neighborhood as well but were continually priced out of neighborhood. We went from city to urban to rural and back again, and again. The house we finally bought was one that we had looked at 3 other times as a comparison house before we decided that it had what we wanted even if it wasn't our favorite house cosmetically. After we thought it might be the one we then looked at it 2x more before making an offer. At the beginning of our process we made a couple of offers after just 1 viewing if we were really impressed but I don't think I would ever do that again. You don't really begin seeing the small details until the second or third visit.

 

I agree that you need to communicate with your agent more. When we did that he was finally able to truly help us. At one point we simply said we had no idea and he sent us listings for us to look at. He included every single house in our price range so we could know what was available.That helped me see what was available without actually going into each house. I could look it up, drive past, get a feel for neighborhoods, compare things like taxes and utilities... I also cruised sites like Realtor.com. For us I think it also took time for us to be educated about what was available and what we really wanted - to be able to discern quality and such.

 

We ended up with a property that has almost 3 acres that we love more than we thought we would. It is on a dead end street and is the first neighborhood outside the city limits. I love that part because I am still near town but don't have all the rules and regulations of being in the city. We bought a smaller house than we thought we wanted because we couldn't afford a large house and land too. After living in a crime neighborhood with houses close to us we wanted space, privacy, safety. We needed a place where the kids could go ride bikes safely. We also wanted 2 bathrooms. We needed a space that could be turned into a game room for the pool table. We wanted gas available and a fireplace/woodstove. As we looked at houses I would be very verbal about what I didn't like as well. Once we were able to give those parameters to the agent, he was much better at showing us houses and not wasting our time. A couple of times though we needed to see everything available just so we could get a better feel for what we wanted and what was available in the market in our area. It wasn't until after we saw many houses that we realized we preferred one floor plan over another for example. Occassionally our realtor would show us a house not quite like we were looking for but on those occassions he would point out ways we could make the house work with simple changes.

 

:grouphug: It was a long hard process for us, I hope it is much easier for you.

[Catwoman]

I agree with what everyone else has said, but would also like to add that it may be helpful for you to drive around several different neighborhoods without your realtor to see if they would be of interest to you. If you drive through and think the houses are ugly or the lots are too small, that's helpful information you can give your agent. She won't waste your time (or hers) showing you properties in that area, and the info about the styles of houses you like, and your lot size requirements can really help her narrow down the possibilities for you. What good is a beautiful cape cod in a lovely neighborhood if you absolutely hate capes and would never buy one? If you don't want a fixer-upper, she can show you the best value on the planet and you would be wasting your time to go and see it.

 

Almost everyone changes their requirements as they shop for a new home, and I'm glad your agent has been accommodating, but the more information you can give her about what you're looking for in a new home and neighborhood (as well as what you absolutely don't want,) the better it will be for her and for you.

 

I would even suggest making a checklist of "must-haves," "nice-to-haves," and "don't wants" to give to your agent so she can better understand your priorities. Remember to include details like the maximum you're willing to pay for real estate taxes, your feelings about homeowners' associations and fees, etc. The list can be modified as you continue to house-hunt, but it's a good way to organize your own thoughts and needs, and a great way for the agent to see what's going on inside your head, and to let you know whether or not your expectations are reasonable based on the area, your budget, and the current market.

 

Cat

[Mom in High Heels]

That's her job, but be honest with her. If the lots are too small, tell her, so she can rule out the houses with small lots and not waste time. Think about what you really, really, really want/need. Tell your agent these things. Think about what you're willing to give up too. These are important things. When I was a Realtor, I preferred clients who were up front.

Also, even if you haven't signed a buyer's agreement with the agent (a binding contract that says you will ONLY buy with her as your agent), show your Realtor some loyalty. I had a couple whose house I had listed for sale and we were looking at other houses to buy. By my own stupid mistake, I did not have them sign a buyer's agreement (they were FRIENDS of ours, BTW). One Sunday they were out looking at open houses (without me) and came to a house they like. The Realtor at the house told them that if they hadn't signed an agreement with me they could use him as a buyer's agent and he would get them a better deal because he knew the listing agent. I was HOT when they told me they were doing this (it was ethically wrong, but not technically illegal), but there was nothing I could do. I did sell their house, so I got that commission, but didn't get the higher commission on the much more expensive house that they bought, despite the fact that we'd been looking for months and I had done a lot of legwork. The house they bought had just come on the market and was on my list to show them the following week. If your Realtor is doing a lot of work, make sure she gets paid for it.

[Catwoman]

I had a couple whose house I had listed for sale and we were looking at other houses to buy. By my own stupid mistake, I did not have them sign a buyer's agreement (they were FRIENDS of ours, BTW). One Sunday they were out looking at open houses (without me) and came to a house they like. The Realtor at the house told them that if they hadn't signed an agreement with me they could use him as a buyer's agent and he would get them a better deal because he knew the listing agent. I was HOT when they told me they were doing this (it was ethically wrong, but not technically illegal), but there was nothing I could do.

 

That was a rotten thing for them to have done, and very unethical on the part of the other Realtor, as well. No wonder you were livid about it!

 

Cat

[elfgivas]

is the move specifically to be closer to dh's work?

if so, has he driven in rush hour from several different neighborhoods? we ended up much farther in miles from dh's work, but much closer in time during rush hour.

also look at public transit options.... sometimes those are fastest of all, and open up new neighborhood possibilites.

 

just to make you feel better, back in the days when we were moving most years, i had a list...

 

1) 3 bedrooms

2) at least 2 bathrooms, one on the main floor

3) as few walls as possible on the main floor

4) as many windows as possible

5) no electric heat

6) central air or the possibility of central air

 

and

 

no longer than 1 hour commute for one of us, and 15 minutes for the other one of us. (ie. one able to be to children quickly)

 

we left realtors twice because we clearly weren't communicating well. one realtor showed us well over 100 houses, in three widely diverse suburbs before i walked into one and within 30 seconds said "this is it".

 

dh bought the house we are currently in without even going inside the house.... what he said was "you can fix a house; you can't fix the land"...

 

a few chainsaw years later, there are few walls, lots of windows, and life is good ; ).

 

i'd encourage you not to lose sight of the goal, especially if the goal is more family time due to dh's reduced commute time.

 

(and it might help if you can be clearer about why a larger yard is important. do you/your kids/your family spend a lot of outdoor time? is it to have neighbors not so close? large yards take time away from family time in maintenance that is worth it for us only if we are out in it a lot. currently, we live on 20 acres and hike almost all of it most weeks.... so its worth it!)

 

good luck!

ann

 

eta: one of our houses had a teenytiny back yard, but a huge park nearby, and so that worked well for our love of walking outdoors.... we missed having a vegetable garden, but found a CSA instead.... all to say there are ways to work around most things....

Edited December 29, 2010 by elfgivas@yahoo.com