A wishlist has been generated, and mortgage preapproval has been successfully sought. The next step in the house hunting process can be difficult, it is the decision if this is right time to contact a realtor to put current house on market or to buy a new house. In some cases the decision is easy, such as a geographic change in employment, or the addition of a child to the household. Other situations allow for a greater amount of time to browse such as having a few months left on a lease, or a few years out from retiring and are looking for a house to downsize. Continue reading below for criteria to decide on best time to either begin buying or selling current house.

• The budget is already set, based on the information contained within the mortgage preapproval letter. Looking online is one of the easiest ways to determine the style, location, and amenities that fit with your budget.
• When setting minimum or maximum dollar amounts searching online, always go a little higher or lower to ensure capturing the listings that are very close to your maximum or minimum budget amount.
• If house hunting locally, drive around neighborhoods and see if you like the lifestyle and types of homes that are for sale within your budget.
• Open houses are a great way to sample the interior of houses within specific neighborhoods. It is also a great way to meet perspective realtors. If the realtor is engaging, and open about discussing the features of the house, that specific realtor may be worth adding to a short list of perspective realtors.
• If looking to sell current house, and have not worked with a specific realtor before, interviewing perspective realtors is an excellent idea.

Interviewing Realtors

If looking to buy or sell a home, contact me.