REAL TipS: BUYING

Don’t forget the real world

The Internet is an amazing tool when buying a home. You can “tour” homes for sale across the country. You can research neighborhoods, schools, shopping, traffic patterns, and many and other details that will help you make an informed decision. But most people don’t rely only on information they find online when making such an important decision.

To really get a feel for a neighborhood, visit it. Go in the morning and evening, rush hours and weekends. Get out of your car and walk around. Ask people you meet their impressions of the area. There’s nothing like first-hand knowledge. The same is true about schools. Nobody can tell you as much about a school as the people whose kids go there, those who teach there, and school administrators.

While photographs and virtual tours of homes give you a good idea about a property and help you narrow down your choices, nothing substitutes for a visit. You can better judge the floor plan, storage space, views, neighboring properties, and the other factors that don’t come across in a photo. Your Texas REALTOR® is another excellent source of information about properties and neighborhoods. When you use the Internet, rely on your REALTOR®, and do some additional research in person, you will find a home that will make you happy for years to come.

Texas Association of Realtors®