Online House Hunting

How soon should you begin looking for a house to buy?

Our family will be moving to Dallas, Texas from 29 Palms, California in July of 2008 and we are looking to purchase our first home. How early should we begin the house hunting process, locating a realtor, etc? Is a year much too early? Would 6 months out put us in a time crunch? We know we will be making at least two trips out to the area prior to our move next year we just don't know when yet.

Public Comments

1. personally i would start right now-it is not too early at all
2. It's difficult. I started looking in May for an August move, and I just barely had time. I'd say 6 months sounds about right, but maybe a month or two more if you're particularly indecisive. A year is probably too long, unless you're willing to carry two mortgage payments for some months. I'd say, for a July move, starting in January should be sufficient.
3. Start now, it may take a while to find the right house and then you have to go thru approval and closing.
4. First , it is best to look for a home now, as the market is soft and the prices are lower. You can simply ask a reputable realestate co. like Coldwell Banker, there in Ca., and they can give you listings and a realator in Texas.You can also subscribe to the local newspaper, and you will see the advertising for homes ,and realtors. Also, get the local phone book, as that will have realators listed. You can also check with the chamber of commerce, and find out who is reputable there.
5. Yes, a year is probably too soon. However, if you are going out there for some other reason you might want to talk to a real estate broker in the area you are moving and see if they would act as a buyer's agent for you. That way you can acquaint them with your needs, the price range, the type of house, importance of schools (if any), etc. One thing that might be helpful to you is to go online and download a "house hunting checklist" of the things that one should inspect for before buying a home. Going over this list with your buyer's agent would be a good basis for pinning down a more detailed description of what you would be looking for. At the same time you would want to be sure that your agent understands the time frame you are working in so you won't be bothered with calls about houses before you are ready to look at them. Be sure to get an agent with a major real estate brokerage firm and don't hesitate to ask how long the particular agent has worked for the firm, whether the agent has ever acted as a buyer's agent, and how much general experience the agent has had. You might want to get a couple of references on recent sales that you can at least check by phone to see how satisfied the client was with the agent before you sign any contract with the buyer's agent. Just be sure to look out for your own interests, because the agent's primary concern is to make a sale and earn a commission. I don't think 6 months would put you in a time crunch since the market is swinging towards a buyers' market now.
6. I'd wait til January '09. That's when you'll get the most for your money.
7. The sooner the better!!!! You gotta do your homework into the area you want to move-in. Good Luck!