The Art of House Hunting

Tips for Finding the Right House

By Mary Booth Thomas

Homebuyers moving to Atlanta have an almost unlimited choice of housing options. The area offers everything from posh condominiums in a downtown high-rise or a family-sized home in a resort-style master-planned community to a home with acreage or historic home in a close-in neighborhood—and everything in between.

But how do you choose a home when you’re moving to the nineth largest metropolitan area in the country? How do you select a location from 24 different counties with more than 28 public school systems and 250-plus private schools? How do you pick out the perfect home from more than 100,000 homes listed for sale at any one time?

Working with a full-service, reputable Realtor will help with the decision process. Most full-service real estate companies have relocation and orientation packages that may include CDs and lists of valid Web sites with valuable information, but you need to do a good bit of homework to help them guide you in the right direction.

“An educated buyer who has done a lot of preliminary research can better direct and guide their agent,” explains Marty Midkiff of Jenny Pruitt and Associates. “They can get the most out of the time they spend in the area and find a home they love more quickly if they have an idea of where they want to live, what they want in their home, and what’s important to them.”

Before you start to look for a home in the Atlanta area, get an idea of your financial borrowing power, the value of your own home, and how long it may take to sell. Check into what kind of relocation assistance your employer may offer. Find out your financial buying power.

“The last thing people want to do is waste precious time looking at homes that might not be price appropriate,” says Donnal Littleton, CEO/Broker of Solutions Realty Network, Inc. “It’s a good idea to find out how much you can afford to buy, but loans are best handled locally,”

Start your research by narrowing down where you want to live, advise some of Atlanta’s top relocation specialists. Ask the advice of friends, family members, and your new co-workers to get an idea of the area that might appeal to your family. But keep an open mind because what’s right for one person may not be right for your own family, points out Kathy Connelly, advisor and relocation director for Prudential Georgia.

“Location, location, location is the biggest choice buyers have to make,” says Brian Harris with RE/MAX Champions. “They need to decide if they want city living or suburban living or a little of both.”

Atlanta’s market is different from many because intown neighborhoods offer suburban amenities, like parks, golf courses and tennis courts in the close-in neighborhoods, and many suburban communities offer downtown living in loft condominiums or neighborhoods within walking distance of the shopping and dining, he adds.

Decide what factors will have the biggest influence on the area in which you choose to live, suggests Littleton.

Is distance to work an issue or will you work from home? Do you want to be close to the cultural attractions and sports venues available intown or would you prefer living close to the mountains or the lake?

Is living in an area with top-rated schools more important than having a short commute? Do you want to live in a master-planned community with an extensive amenity package or would you prefer an older, established neighborhood? Do you want a built-in social life, available in many suburban communities, or would you prefer a more isolated location.

List all of the things that you want to be close to, whether it’s museums and theaters, a health food store, a shopping mall, a health club, parks, churches or schools. Then visit the city, either in person or online and get an idea of where you want to live, Harris says.

Check out the chambers of commerce and visitors bureaus for the counties you are considering. Then look at the Web sites for cities and towns within the county for more information. Many municipal websites have links to other Web sites where you can find out information about schools, cultural activities, recreation and area attractions.

Look for a neighborhood that replicates or improves your current living situation.

Before you contact a real estate agent, get your family together and decide what’s most important to you in selecting a new home.

Identify your priorities. List the must-have features and those you’d like to have but that are not mandatory.

“This isn’t always an easy task,” says Connelly. “There are bound to be some trade-offs, but when people start to look for a home, they need to have in mind which features are negotiable and which are not.”

Think about what you do and don’t like about your current home to narrow down the kind of new home you want. Develop a detailed list to share with your agent.

“The more specific information they can provide to us, the better job we can do in the search process,” Midkiff says.

Decide on the style of your home and bring pictures of the type of homes you like when you meet with your agent, Harris suggests.

Create a priority list. At a minimum include cost limits, general location, the size of the room, the number of bedrooms and baths, and whether you want a basement, Littleton adds.

The Internet can be a valuable tool in getting an idea of the kind of homes that are available in the area you choose, Connelly says.

“Virtual tours and multiple photos on today’s real estate Web sites are extremely helpful. It gives people a visual perception of the type of lifestyle that area has to offer,” she says.

But while the Internet can help buyers narrow down their selection, there’s no substitute for visiting a place in person to see if that’s where you want to live, she adds.

If schools are a top priority, visit the schools in the neighborhoods that you are considering and get a feel for the overall educational and extracurricular opportunities. Look at how involved the parents are and if there is a strong PTA at the school, Midkiff says.

Identify two or three schools that interest you, but bear in mind that in a fast-growing real estate market, school districts can change, Connelly adds.

If your children are interested in particular activities, such as a swim team or ice skating, take these into consideration when you choose your neighborhood.

When you zero in on a community, walk around and talk to the neighbors. Get a sense of their comfort level with the overall living conditions of the area, schools, opportunities for social activities, safety and crime, and accessibility to shopping, healthcare and schools. Drive through the area and see how close you’ll be to the supermarket, the gym, your church or other lifestyle amenities that are important to you.

Travel from the area you’ve selected to your job location during the peak commuting hours so you can see what the commute might be like.

If you’ve looked and looked, but can’t be positive that one particular area is where you want to live for a long period of time, consider renting, Littleton suggests.

“Renting keeps your options open. Our program offers homes for rent that can later be purchased if you like the area and do not want to move again,” Littleton says.