Uncategorized September 19, 2016

How To Search For Real Estate

Searching for homes for sale in Lynden, WA has become so easy, it is almost overwhelming. Just type in “Homes for sale in Lynden, WA” in a search bar and you get hundreds of search results from search engines like Realtor.com,  Zillow and countless Lynden, WA real estate agent’s websites. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start! Oddly enough, there was a time before the internet when properties for sale were listed in a book and updated every few months. This meant you had two options on how to search for homes for sale in Lynden, WA: either rely on your real estate agent to comb that book, send over the information and hope it is current or drive up and down streets looking for For Sale signs.

Thankfully, technology has made searching for homes for sale in Lynden, WA so much easier. The website that every agent inputs their listings into is called the Multiple Listing Service, otherwise known as the MLS. No matter where an agent is located, they have a local MLS they must not only input their listings into, but update accordingly as listing information changes. The MLS is also the source of information that feeds to the previously mentioned websites.

While these real estate search engine sites are great resources for the beginning stages, you want to make sure you go straight to the source when you become serious about looking at homes for sale in Lynden, WA: The NWMLS and a Local Lynden, WA realtor. These two combined can give you the most up to date information on the current market. Now that you know the best source for up to date listing information, here are a couple tips to keep in mind when setting up your search parameters.

First establish what you are searching for. That seems pretty obvious, we know. However, knowing ahead of time of your absolute “Must Have” features and “Deal Breakers” will save you so much time. If you are new to this and not sure what these could be, here are some things to keep in mind.

Home Size: Square footage and amount of beds and baths are usually the main priorities. You want everyone to have their own space. You may also have a preference on where these rooms are located. A Main floor master is ideal for some, and not for others.

Location: What neighborhoods are you interested in? Do you want to be close to work? Are there certain Lynden, WA amenities you want to be close to, such as trails, grocery stores or schools?

Features: Location and home size are incredibly important, but there may be extras that you want at your future Lynden, WA real estate. Is a gourmet kitchen a must have? Do you need a rec room or a fenced backyard? Does the home need to have a garage?

Price: After you get pre-approved, you will know the price points that you can search within. When setting up your search parameters, don’t put the max price at the loan amount. For example, if your home loan is $300,000, set up the search max price as $320,000. You don’t want to rule out a dream home that is only $3,000 over. Furthermore, you could make an offer that is less and it gets accepted. Give yourself a little wiggle room.

While you can still be proactive and drive around looking for sale signs and searching the most popular real estate search engine websites, the best way to search for homes for sale in Lynden, WA is through the NWMLS and a qualified realtor. These two combined will bring you the most up to date information on the market. If you have any questions regarding buying or selling in Lynden, WA give me a call at 360-410-0848.