Now that you have made the decision to buy a home, there are steps you need to take that will help your home searching process go more smoothly. Before you start home shopping, come up with a list of features you want in a home.

Start thinking of your dream home and what it looks like. How many bedrooms/bathrooms? How far of a commute are you willing to make for work? What school district do you want your children to go to? Will you want a home with a large yard? What sort of amenities does your dream home have - Fireplace? Attached garage?

Once you have envisioned your dream home, you’ll know what to look for. This will help you filter out homes that don’t match your description and make the process less overwhelming. Knowing what you want will help you find what you are looking for.

Next, you will want to figure out your budget. You wouldn’t want to fall in love with the perfect home only to find you can’t afford it.

You will need to determine; ...