If you're planning on buying a home, you're in for some real house-hunting fun. You may have heard horror stories about how difficult it is to find the perfect home. If you know what you're looking for, house hunting can be very rewarding as well as a lot of fun. By keeping these following tips in mind, you'll enjoy looking for your dream home.

Make Location your first priority. If you're purchasing a home, chances are good you're planning on staying there for many years to come. So, location really should be the most important thing when house hunting. When you first see a home you like, you may think it's no big deal to drive an hour to work. However, after awhile you may get tired of commuting this far twice each day, especially if you're in a climate that warrants bad roads in the winter. Not to mention, you never know what the gas prices may be next week much less next year. Your place of employment is not the only thing you should use as an example for distance. Pay attention to how close or far away you will be from shopping, schools, public transportation and any amenities you may use. No matter how much you may love a home, if it becomes a major inconvenience, you may regret buying it.

Make a list of what it's important. Whether you're single or part of a family, determine what it is that you're looking for in a home. You'll all be spared hours of unnecessary shopping and anticipation if you know ahead of time what it is you're looking for. Make a list of the things that are non-negotiable, ones that would be nice to have and those that you really don't want. Before you finish you list, go through your current home and make note of things you like and don't like about it and add these to the list.

Get your research out of the way. Many years ago, when you wanted to buy a home, you either went to a real estate agent and trusted them or went out on your own and found a home. Often, a bad deal was made because the new buyer was uninformed about many important decisions. Do your research about important facts involving the home sale including market trends in the area, home values, neighborhood details and more. You can get a lot of this information in local government offices as well as the internet.

Get your mortgage approved for your home purchase. Regardless of how much you love your potential new home, you'll never get to enjoy ownership if you can't get a loan to buy it. If you already have a lender, check with them about becoming preapproved for a mortgage so you know how much you can afford to spend. If you don't have a lender, start looking for the best deals. A lender will go over your financial options and help you determine what you can afford as well as the different types of mortgages.

Make a list of homes that interest you. Time is money or so they say. Don't waste a lot of time backtracking to look at different homes. You'll not only become very frustrated but you'll be cutting yourself short on the time you'll get to spend at each home. Prioritize your list by which homes interest you the most as well as where they're located so you can look at them in a certain order to save time.

Make sure you're ready. House hunting can be a lot of fun, but if you're really not ready to buy a home, the whole process can be quite stressful. If you're ready for the joys of home ownership, be prepared to make an offer if you find that dream home. By following this checklist, you'll find house hunting a pleasure and very rewarding.

Copyright (c) 2009 Wes Fernley